Today I did something that I have not done for a very long time... I spent my entire afternoon getting stuck into my garden! And it was SO good for my soul! As I sit here now, and as I have been anticipating and waiting for with baited breathe the entire afternoon... the rain has finally begun to fall!
A little bit of background...
My mom (@lizziesworld) is a COMPLETE and UTTER green fingers!! She is like a walking encyclopedia of plant and gardening knowledge! Well, apart from landscaping many peoples gardens over the years as well as advising... in the peak of her career she actually headed the Cape Association of Nurserymen for several years. I am forever in awe of her knowledge and her natural affinity with nature. My mom can take a desolate space and turn it into an oasis in just a few hours. She truly is amazing!
I have grown up surrounded by her passion, so it has grown to be one of mine over the years too. I will always pale by comparison to my mom lol, but I do love it nonetheless.
We live in what is referred to as a "town house" complex... very much a lock up and go environment. Urban living at its best lol - but in SA, with our relatively high crime rates - it is (to my mind anyway) a preferable choice. So needless to say, it is not exactly "country living" - so whilst as far as town houses go, we have a relatively LARGE amount of space, it is still quite small by comparison.
However, it suits our lifestyle, and I enjoy that. In the main part of the premises we have a looooong grass bank with a canal, so the kids can ride their bikes, play cricket, fish for tadpoles, etc. and that somewhat makes up for the smaller space on the property itself... but either way - no matter the space, I have ALWAYS been the type of person who has enjoyed making a "sanctuary" out of the personal space I live in. It needs to be a space where I can sit back and replenish myself!
I love entertaining - so whether it is family or friends, I have always wanted my outdoor space to be a welcoming little haven. A space that when people arrive they feel relaxed and comfortable enough to let their hair down and absorb the good energy of what surrounds them....
We have two outdoor areas - We have a courtyard and then our back garden. I have had many inspirations for both. The courtyard being contained and relatively warm, was exceptionally brilliant for things like herbs, peppers, chillis etc. which is what I initially began to grow there.
Our back garden does not get a lot of sun, so I always went for shade lovers in that space, which I really loved actually, as I am definitely a "wet earth" - "rain forest" kind of gal :)
The ground level in the beds of our back garden are EXTREMELY shallow and some bright spark who lived here previously had decided to turn a large part of our back yard into a "raised" garden bed and plant three trees. It was the most hideous thing you have EVER seen (really) lol.... and I had tried basically EVERYTHING to make it look like less of an eye-sore! Last year, I decided to revamp the back garden and had two of the three trees pulled out. I left only the most poisonous one lol... the Pink Oleander.... because it truly is a BEAUTIFUL sight - especially with all my fairy lights lol... (like only I would do! haha)
On one particular ocassion, the complex body corp was busy installing new fences everywhere. I am a complete junkie for upcycling and when arriving home one day and seeing this mass of fencing lying on the floor as I drove in, I asked if I could have it.... which apparently I could and soooo......
I turned that into decking and an "upper" level for our braai area. hehehehe!
I really had SUCH wonderful plans for my garden... but since we started getting restricted with water usage here in Cape Town over the last couple of years... it has made gardening increasingly difficult. The water restrictions got worse with time, and so my gardening enthusiasm diminished.... and along with that - everything started to die.
After a while, and again after my moms numerous attempts at telling me to water my plants with my dirty dish water, I eventually did. lol! I was SO anti this.... I think it just grated my OCD to be honest hahaha!!! But I started with the pots in our front pathway, which are essentially all my herbs and sun lovers... and now, they are absolutely THRIVING - It would seem that good 'ol sunlight liquid is their closet favourite thirst quencher hehehe!
This gave me a renewed enthusiasm for my garden
So today, I nabbed our resident complex gardener and offered him 200 bucks to come cut back and clear away for me... needless to say he was all too keen - and man oh man I am SO glad I did!!!!
We started with the courtyard... and I REALLY should have taken a "before" photo... because it was truly sad how my herb oasis had turned to a ball of shite.... nonetheless, its all gone now and we are going to fit it with some astro turf, a couple of outside loungers and the kids can then go wild....
So this is the courtyard now as it has been cleared....
and the plan.... is to turn it into something like this....
I will reserve the back garden for my wilder spirit hehehehe :)
Having cleared away all the dead and made space for the new,
slightly more "resilient" plants looking forward,
I am quite excited - especially now as we move into Autumn,
because the heat will abate and things will grow wonderfully...
Regardless, it is looking a LOT better than it was!!!
(despite my lack of foresight for before and after pics lol)
In desperation for some of my "favourites", I have actually resorted to keeping certain rooted plants alive in drinking glasses filled with water on my kitchen windowsill, such as my vietnamese coriander.... which I finally plugged into some soil today.... YAY!!!!
I know my mom is going to read this post and remind me of all the times she has cringed in her boots listening to me say "mom whats the point" hehehe but hey.... I got there mom ;) I just needed to find my own way back to remembering how much VALUE spending time in your own garden holds, and also... how much I LOVE and have MISSED it!
I used to REVEL in getting barefoot at the end of my day with a hosepipe in my hand. It was my THERAPY! And when that turned into a watering can, then a bucket and then nothing at all - I kind of "lost the plot". hehehe... but time played out as it always does - and I realised (yet again) that this is a part of my life that I simply cannot live without. Not if I want to flourish anyway.... ;)
So, yes mom.... you can have the grace of saying "I Told you so" hehehehe ;)
I LOVE you SO much for what you have instilled in me!!!!
I know I wander off some times, but I always find my way back - and I have you to thank for that.
You can have all the materialistic riches in the world.... but NONE of them will EVER bring you as close to your soul as nature!
My mom used to have a plaque in her garden.... it read
"You are closer to God in a garden than anywhere else on earth".
I am SOOOOOOOOOOO glad I decided to do what I did today....
I needed it more than I care to admit!
Love you MOM!!!!
