I am definitely a 'late starter' when it came to gardening unlike a lot of people on here. As a small child, I always liked making mud pies (nothing changes there!) and always loved daffodils and a rockery that we had at the bottom of our garden. I remember climbing all over the stones and getting shouted at when I crushed mom's aubretia or london pride (as she called it).
Anyway, as I got older and entered my teens the garden pretty much disappeared from my life and I became a proper town person, ignoring all things green. I also developed pretty severe asthma at the same time and the winters were spent wheezing and puffing.
By now we had moved to the country but still I came straight home from the office job inside and that was that! My mom had two shetland ponies who I'm ashamed to say I didn't see for four years! Anyway, one day the older one started to poorly and I felt so guilty for not bothering so went to see her and gradually started to help looking after and hey presto my asthma started to improve - I was so chuffed to be liberated from Salbutamol... One Sunday afternoon on an impulse I decided to go to our garden centre and bought home some african marigolds (lord knows why). Unfortunately there was nowhere to put them as the garden was overrun with weeds and so it began, a weed and tidy up of the whole garden - phew I had my work cut out. Alan thought it was so funny that I was undertaking any sort of manual labour that he decided to video the whole thing. I came in from work every night and every weekend was spent out there..new borders were created and a 'wildlife area' at the bottom (including a pond).
As time went on I realised that I was an outdoor person, that I didn't enjoy been stuck in an office and been told what to do that I had to make that change - which I eventually did after much dithering and soul searching.
I think gardening can be restful and source of great joy and pleasure. I love a wander round the garden in early Spring especially and see everything coming to like - magical. It is not being over dramatic to say that it has changed my life.
I have found it difficult to adapt to gardening 'commercially' from in my own garden but with some adjustments in the last couple of months I'm confident that we are definitely moving in the right direction - role on next Spring! :)
Comments
how amazing that you weren't interested for so long, and now it's such a big part of your life! Sounds like you are the richer for it :o)
I definitely feel that I am. I'm certainly a happier person than when I spent all my days stuck inside or in an office :)
oops. I'm sure he was very unhappy. My dad had a mini allotment at the bottom of our garden. My cat dug all his lettuces up...
You are spot on Brigitt. Doesn't matter how down I am, an hour or so in the garden always makes me feel better :)