THERE’S something about gardens – and the people who tend them – that leaves a lasting impression on us.
Being in a garden awakens our senses. Whether it’s our own patch of earth or another place – a park, an exhibition, or a flower show – the sights and colours bring a sense of wellbeing and calm.
Outdoors, we feel the cool breeze and the warm sun on our skin. We hear gentle background sounds – the rustle of leaves, the hum of insects, the song of birds. The scent of flowers drifts by.
Perhaps these sounds and sensations bring back childhood memories – times when the days seemed endless, life felt simple, and freedom came naturally.
Maybe this column has stirred thoughts not visited in 50 years – moments with your grandparents in their garden, or the carefree days when you played outside, got dirty, and didn’t care.
There were no mobile phones then. You played in the rain, explored, and had time for other things.
In 2022, John Oxley Library Fellow Dr Mimi Tsai held a storytelling workshop with participants reflecting on their experiences during the Covid shutdowns.
Many spoke of turning to gardening – planting, nurturing, and watching things grow – as a way to fill time, find peace, and cope with uncertainty.
During difficult times, a garden can become a sanctuary – a place of solace and comfort, a refuge from life’s pressures.
Farming and gardening have been with us for thousands of years. Even in Australia’s early days, the prison at St Helena Island maintained a thriving garden.
Today, hospital and hospice gardens continue that tradition, giving patients and visitors a place to walk among flowers and greenery, to pause and breathe.
In the 1940s and ’50s, Chinese market gardens flourished.
Perhaps today’s column has given you a new appreciation for gardening – not only for what it grows, but for what it gives back.
Till next time.
