2020 has got off to a rather unusual start. I do hope you’re all safe and well. I will be finding solace in my plants and gardening ~ and it’s something I’d highly recommend to anyone. Envelop yourself in nature, and your outdoor space will thank you for it.
I’m also getting a little bit crafty and have a few exciting kits that combine my love of food and love of plants! I’ll be making kefir (fermented milk drink!) and kombucha (a fermented fizzy tea) – in case you don’t know that much about me, I have been into unusual food and drink since I was a child. I used to spend all of my pocket money on rice milk and soya chunks. My mother thought I was crazy!
As a child, I also spent a lot of time in my parent’s small garden, and that’s where I got super inventive with my little creations! I have fond memories of entering a “garden on a plate” to the local flower show! It’s really fun to do with kids or grandchildren, all you need is a plate, some soil and various pieces of plants, perhaps some small gravel! I used to make whole make-believe worlds on that dinner plate! You could even buy a few mini figures, like the ones you buy for train sets!
My bedroom was also crammed full of cacti and I used to collect them and know them all by name! As a child they were fairly fool proof, although remembering to water them wasn’t my forte. Thankfully, with this track record, my mum fed the hamster! I soon started on succulents too, and particularly loved the little Jellybeans plants, and used to spend hours poring over which ones I’d love to buy next. Unfortunately, in those days we had no internet, so I just had to sit and dream about them.
My vegetable patch started off quite small too, in fact my dad wouldn’t let me have any ground space, so I started off in pots on the patio. I was resilient, and managed to grow carrots, peas, and tonnes of herbs. I probably told you before, but I actually started propagating and selling the herbs through my own little mail-order herb nursery called Springfield Herb Nursery, I was only 12 years old but a right little entrepreneur! Someone still has a copy of the adverts in a BBC Gardeners World Magazine somewhere, too!
I was also making up all sorts of concoctions in the kitchen with my produce. I remember crushing dandelion roots up in order to make a substitute coffee, and also making some crazy recipe for mouthwash using Eucalyptus and Lavender I believe?! I even made lavender biscuits to sell at the local WI market!
Although I never had one, I always dreamt of having a window box too. Sadly, we couldn’t find one that was easy to fit, and my Dad wouldn’t drill any holes into the walls! What a party pooper. These days, I recommend window boxes all the time. I find they are a great ‘in-between’ garden, and it means you can garden from the comfort of your own home, it’s like magic!
Of course, in the home, there are house plants. Your house plants will appreciate the extra care and attention that you can give them. Perhaps even try propagating a few, you can then share those with your friends. Many varieties will produce roots in water. Follow the advice for putting the right plant in the right room, and you really can’t go wrong! If you do get stuck, please feel free to reach out to me for advice.
Until next month, stay safe, be inventive with your time, and let me know what you get up to!
Michael
