I've only entered the garden with reluctance lately - wind, rain and chilly weather does not a happy gardener make. But I've been thinking of the #hivegardenqotw and the idea of a child's garden. The thing is, I think it's my inner child that planted the garden in the first place. She remember what it's like to be lost in the greenery, to rub mint between her fingers, to talk to the chooks, the bugs and the birds. Thanks, adults in my life with big gardens.

Thanks Mum, of course, who taught me about herbs. In turn I taught my son, who when little would pretend to fall asleep when I waved lavender under his nose. Now I tickle my grandson with it. We make tea from what we can find, which is as good as mud pies. They say children's gardens should be scent - ual, so I plant things that smell good. We rub them between our fingers. MMMMmmm, we say.

Our garden has always had children excited. There's so many books to it - places to sit in a hammock, light a fire, as well as the chooks and trees and shrubs. There's also a lot of edibles, which thrill kids who don't have a garden like that themselves. I remember being a kid in my Nana's garden picking parsley and other herbs and being amazed by this, so try to replicate that in my own garden. I think a lot of us Hive Gardeners are like that. We try to recreate in some way the good memories of our childhood.

This winter I've been concentrating on fruit trees. My son Jarrah has wanted me to get a Nashi pear forever, so that's what I planted. Sometimes it seems like a fool's game. We could sell the place before it bears fruit. But still, someone will enjoy it, I hope. I would have liked to move to a place with established fruit trees. And if we stay, I can imagine the little one munching on them in the garden and one day planting fruit trees because his grandma did, and he has fond memories of his grandmother.

I also plant a cherry, grafted, with two sorts of cherry. I love cherries - my child self adores them, sucks on the pips with relish - and can't believe I haven't planted one yet.

When I think it'll take ages to harvest cherry and Nashi, my child-self impatient, I think of the mandarins ripening, the ones I planted last year. There's two mandarin trees in my garden. Citrus does well here.

When I think about selling up and moving to the coast, I think of the ripening fruit, and all the work I've put in here. But perhaps, if that dream happens, another family will come along, with children who will love their new garden.

With Love,

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