plants
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Growing joy
Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life. One of the simplest things I do that brings joy in my life is stepping into my garden everyday. It’s by no means a paradise; I’m far from being a competent gardener. I struggle to keep up with the endless weeding, and I’ve… Continue reading
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Growing something to look forward to
This year, after sixteen years of being completely engrossed in one of my favourite hobbies, I decided to let it go. I stopped gardening. My mindset – which has never been on an even keel – was particularly mired by depression this year, and I just couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to come up with fresh… Continue reading
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Letting go
Something shifted within me this year. After many years of focusing on my garden – mulling over what plants I want to grow to achieve my vision of a tranquil sanctuary I can escape to – I decided to step back. I let the garden go, both physically and mentally. Some of this letting go… Continue reading
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Growing hope
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn. As someone who struggles deeply with depression, anxiety, regret and gnawing thoughts of “this isn’t how I wanted my life to be”, I’ve taken Audrey’s words deeply to heart. I’m growing a garden. A bit chaotically, but the soil has been tilled, plants… Continue reading
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The first (and last) time I heard an owl
This used to be the backdrop to my small garden. Planted decades ago, a line of oak, ash and horse-chestnut trees created a beautiful natural screen between the houses on my road and a local primary school. Bursting into life every spring, and dropping a mountain of leaves every autumn, these tall majestic lifeforms were… Continue reading
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Plants having friendships
Did the murder of a street tree cause my garden plant to die too? Were they somehow connected – even dependent on each other – despite them being many yards apart and two totally different species? It’s an oddly coincidental moment of simultaneous death that I’ve been pondering for a while now… At the back… Continue reading