The Back Garden

When I moved into my current house, it came with a small garden. The previous occupant had done a fair bit of work to it but had let it go in the time leading up to the sale and it was a bit wild when I inherited it.

I’m not much of a gardener and really don’t have green fingers. And to be honest I was not looking forward to having to care for the garden. Plans were made to turn it into a Zen garden or even just put paving slabs down.

But the lockdown that we’re all on has made me appreciate the garden greatly. It is my own little slice of nature next to the house. The garden is a suntrap between the equinoxes (and even outside of these) and all day long, when the weather is good, the sun shines in the garden making it a lovely place to sit and read. And perhaps even work, I’ve discovered the Wifi stretches out to the garden bench.

I’ve come to the realization over recent time that I am fairly much an outdoors person. Being cooped up in an office all day makes me long for hills and trees and places where nature reigns. The hills and the bigger parks are largely off limits at the moment, but a few steps outside my door is an oasis in the city.

Being in amongst the greenery (my garden is very green, the flowers don’t seem to take), reminds us of how unhurried nature is. Everything happens at its proper time and in the proper order without it being forced. It tells us to slow down and live to the age old rhythms of the planet.

And of course, all my neighbors have gardens too and the decent weather is bringing them out as well. Chats over the fence to see how each other is doing combats the isolation that can overtake us in the current situation.

So the garden is a blessing and when we’re done with the Coronavirus and the diy stores are open again, I’m going to put a bit of effort in here to make it an even nicer place to be.