Ancestral Gardens

I have fond memories of my Nana (grandmother), taking cuttings from shrubs, whenever we went to visit any gardens or grounds, on our Sunday outings, when I was a child. I remember her hiding them in her hand bag, because you weren't really allowed to do it. But it never stopped my Nan and she always managed to get them going in her own garden. She really had green fingers. She also grew her own veg and I loved her Rhubarb. To this day, I have never tasted any better.

I remember coming home early one morning and seeing my Nan in her garden with the most flamboyant hat, I think it was pink and it had the biggest brim, she looked so cool. My nan, loved colour and always wore bright colours. As a young kid, I remember asking her to keep some of her clothes for me when I grew up. I really wish I had managed to get some.

She also had some apple trees, both sweet apples and cooking apples. I loved helping her pick them and also watching her make the best apple tarts and then getting to eat them afterwards. As my nan got older, my aunty took over the house and she got rid of the veg garden and eventually the apple trees. Something me and my Mum where not happy about. But that is another story.

When my family moved to the countryside, after living in a housing estate for the first 5 years of my life. My dad created a vegetable garden. I know we grew carrots, potatoes and beans. I have a few memories of sitting around the kitchen table and shelling the beans. We didn't have a big garden, so the veggie plot was small, but very productive.

I wish I had some photos of both of the gardens, but back then, I didn't have a camera and it wasn't something my parents thought to take a picture of. But I am really glad that I grew up seeing my family growing their own food. That is was just the norm.

When I became a teenager, suddenly growing food, was seen as a sign of poverty. So many people stopped, not wanting anyone to be looking down on them. I find that crazy, because to me, growing you own food, is all about creating abundance in your life. But this new world, did not ( and still doesn't) want people to be self sufficient, instead they want us dependent on their goods and services. Making us committed customers.

I like to think that my fingers are a little green. Not as much as my nan, but I do love to get cuttings of plants and see if I can grow them. It's one of the reasons I love working with my elderly neighbour. She has such a beautiful garden so diverse, full of plants and flowers that she saw growing in other people's gardens and took cuttings and successfully grew them in her own garden.

She has taught me a lot. Things that I wish I had taken the time to learn from my nan, but I am really grateful for the opportunity to learn them now. Everyone has their way of growing, adding their own little flair. My neighbour, has the best composting system in her garden, with 4 different compost piles, divided up, woody, green, food scraps and then the last one to create a lovely mix of them all to go in her garden. The way she has done it, there is usually always compost available, to feed the soil in her garden.

The more I work with her, the more I learn, which is constantly improving my gardening skills.

I personally love to grow my greens, Kale, Cabbage, Rocket and Spinach. If I have them four, then I am very happy. That as well as my favourite fruit and nut trees. I got to plant some Mulberry and Flat Peach trees last week. Digging a nice big hole, where I first put some wet compost, then a layer of earth. Then the tree, more soil and then some nicely composted leaves on top. Making for some very happy young trees. 16 years ago I took a permaculture design course, which I absolutely loved. It just makes sense, working with the land, feeding the soil and using only what you have at hand, making no waste. Keeping that beautiful cycle flourishing and productive.

(The photos, I have included in this post are from the gardens I have created and helped to create recently, as well as some I help tend to. )