Gardening has been a big part of my life ever since I was lucky enough to own a home with a garden. My first garden had to be started from scratch when I bought a brand new home back in my early twenties and ever since I designed and planted that new garden I have been a gardening fanatic. Every garden we've had ever since, however big or small, we've tried to add new plants, put our own stamp on it and make it a small haven, a sanctuary to relax in and enjoy with our family and friends.
Plants and flowers have always interested me from an early age: I can remember going on long walks with my mum and our dog and we collected wild flowers and pressed them and made scrapbooks of all different types of plants. We used to walk through a small meadow near our home, it had a tiny brook running through it and there were marshy areas and a whole variety of wild flowers. We used to call it the 'Secret Garden' after the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I think my interest in gardens, plants and flowers got sparked through these visits to our 'secret garden' and stayed with me ever since.
During my teaching years, my interest in plants and gardening continued and in one school I was lucky enough to oversee some projects that involved the children learning outside and working with nature and wildlife. When I finished teaching due to illness, the garden was once again very prominent in my life. It became a sanctuary of peace and quiet to enjoy as I recovered from one thing after another and was a great source of comfort and enjoyment. Planning things for the garden and getting outside and visiting beautiful gardens was one of the things that gave me much motivation and calm.
We are lucky now to enjoy a good sized garden, with lots of nooks and crannies to fill and we always seem to be endlessly visiting gardens for enjoyment and inspiration, picking up plants from garden centres, markets, and wherever we go on our travels. We always seem to have a garden 'project' on the go, whatever the time of year!
Now I'm back and active in the garden once more, out and about more than ever and wanting an excuse to develop my writing to other areas, so hence, 'This Way to the Garden', one of my new little ventures. Watch this space for more, hopefully there will be lots to come and you will enjoy following!
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