In search of my garden
I came across a quote today from Alice Walker: ‘In search of my mother’s garden, I found my own.’
I found it extraordinarily moving.
When I was a child, my mother was always in the garden, inheriting her love, I suspect, from my Pocket Grandma (so tiny you could almost, almost, fit her in your pocket), who used to spend hours happily strolling round the garden deadheading roses.
I thought gardening was the most boring thing in the whole wide world, and something I would never do. I felt much the same way about Golf, and Bridge, and I will say that my feelings about those are still exactly the same, however sometime in my twenties I too, discovered a love of gardening.
I know December, looking out my window at the season’s first snowfall, isn’t the ideal time to start dreaming about gardens, but I realise it’s one of the things I have missed most, living in a rental for two and a half years. I miss my garden. I miss going outside, first thing in the morning, with a cup of coffee and wandering round to see how everything is doing. I miss planting, and weeding, and just spending hours looking out there, thinking about what could be changed. And mostly I miss the sheer peace that comes from sitting outside, quite happily, surrounded by beauty.
The architect is coming today as we are just about done with the house plans, and Simon Johnson sent over the most gorgeous garden plans which I will soon post. Once again I will have my flower gardens, my vegetable gardens, my clipped English hedges and a pretty parterre. There is even a space that might be perfect for a handful of chickens, although I’m certain Baron would find them a delicious snack before any of us had a chance to whip an egg or two out from the coop.
I am just realising that I cannot wait to have a home, and garden, of my own again. Roll on May 2010, which is our absolute, latest deadline for completion.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
How sweet that your mother planted the seed that will make your new house grow into a home.
December 14th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Gardening, Bridge and Golf: the dreaded three! I have just come to love gardening in the last year or so, although I am a bit of a prima donna about it. I like planning, buying plants and deadheading roses — the rest of it, not so much. I have a lovely gardener who just put in 30 raspberry canes for me in the foulest weather. I brought him numerous cups of tea — and secretly rejoiced that I could have the raspberries without the labor of digging holes in the ground in December!
As for bridge, I love it! I know of maybe two other people (who are actually my age) who play it, but it has allowed me to meet many charming people who are about the same age as my parents!
Golf - Maybe never.
December 19th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Oh Jane, I too have the garden desire! I wish all the plants in my own garden would grow. I think I need to plan more. Will you do as you promised and post your plans? I would so like to be inspired.