It’s a title I never thought I’d write, but lately I’ve started enjoying gardening more and more.
It could just be age, or perhaps it’s that I live in a house at the moment with a garden that actually feels worth looking after, but whatever the case I wanted to embrace it, and think about what it is I love about gardening.
It’s just outdoor tidying up. I may loathe the type of housework that involves getting your hands wet, but tidying up I can do. Clean a sink? No thank you. Arrange books and magazine neatly in piles? Why yes, I’ll take that on.
Gardening is really just like this. You don’t have to wash the plants, or get anti-bacterial spray anywhere, you just need to tidy up the weeds and make sure the garden is arranged neatly. Last weekend I took it one step further and had a go at creating a straight edge along part of the lawn. It really is very satisfying to look at from the landing window.
I admire my nicely trimmed lawn
You can make things grow. Actual Things. As if by magic. It’s very inspiring. Indoors, I am slowly filling the house with spider plants, transplanting dozens of spider babies, and marvelling daily at the fact that they don’t die. Outdoors in the garden I’ve even attempted a bit of grow your own. This year I am growing some salad leaves, (pause for gasps of admiration), and we have a small apple tree from where Belle planted a pip when she was about two years old. I was so surprised when that grew. I thought it was a myth.
Grow your own salad
The colours. Need I say more?
Something purple we have in our garden
The smells. When I first came to look at our house, I knew it was too big and too expensive, but whenever I rounded the corner of the patio, underneath the honeysuckle clad pergola, I positively swooned. It’s such a naturally pure and beautiful thing. When I stand and smell a plant I love I am transported for just a split second out of myself, the smell fills my head.
My favourite spot under the pergola
Watching my boyfriend cut the grass. Yes I know this isn’t technically gardening, in the sense that I am normally just sat on the step drinking a cup of tea, but hearing and smelling the grass being cut is really the essence of gardening isn’t it?
Besides, it’s not just about that. Watching him with the lawnmower makes me come over all funny. Contented I think is the word. It conjures up a lovely feeling of security, like I’m being taken care of, and almost makes me want to have a baby bump to stroke, except without having the baby at the end.
So there you go, that’s the five things I love most about gardening. Are you a gardener? What do you love about being in the garden?
I’m struggling to think of things I like about gardening. I got as far as “if it’s edible you can eat it”.
How about sitting out in the garden with a nice cup of tea and admiring your efforts? I always enjoy that bit.
What gorgeous pictures. Wow!
Thank you! I was rather pleased with them, especially as they were only on my phone. Boyfriend said we he saw them ‘Wow, you managed to make the salad look much nicer than it actually does’!
Totally agree, gardening beats housework everytime. Nothing more satisfying than pulling your own carrots out of the mud with the kids. If I’m stressed at the end of the day, I disappear to the plot for a bit – I swear it does wonders for my blood pressure!
The good thing about the garden too is that it seems to stay tidier for much longer afterwards, not like the house, which seems to become covered in coats, shoes and lunchboxes the minute I turn my back!
Those purple things are peonies…….beautiful, I have some in my garden too.
It’s called a peony.
Thank you both for helping with the plant identification! I definitely like peonies. Fact.
It can be suitable time to produce a several plans in the future and it is time for it to be at liberty. I have read through this release if I’ll simply just I wish to tell you few intriguing factors or tips. Maybe you may compose subsequent articles regarding this document. I have to find out more reasons for it!
Wow! I wish my garden looked as stunning as yours. Then I might spend a little more time out there.
Just a quick question in relation to the pergola. I noticed you had some plants growing over it which looks beautiful, do you notice any mould growth on the posts over winter? We have noticed it can be dependent on where the pergola is located i.e. in mostly shady areas compared to direct sunlight throughout the day.
Great article as always!
I just wanted to say mention that Earth Day is over but our planet is still losing 15 billion trees each year.
Earth Day Network works to reforest the earth and build sustainable communities but we must all do our little bit, too!
Keep up the great work!