Posted by Green & Green on 5th May 2014
Newsletter May 2014
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The Incorrigible Gardener I was never really one for gardening. Growing up in a flat in Singapore that housed 10 kids, backyard gardening was just out of the question – there was simply no space. When I moved to Canada, I learned pretty quickly (after killing a few flowers) that I should probably just stick to my specialty, container gardening. I owe any floral success to the Incorrigible Gardener, my mother-in-law Doreen. About 12 years ago, when my husband and I moved into our home and finally had a yard to tend to, I wasn’t entirely sure how to handle it, so I called in the big guns: my mother-in-law. Her enthusiasm for growing things was beyond belief. One afternoon, I called to ask for some tips’n’tricks, and next thing I knew, she was on an eight-hour bus from Osprey Lake just to help me with the gardening. I thought that I should get a head start before her arrival and well, let me tell you, everything that I planted prior to her arrival was promptly dug out and replanted. My love for gardening grew, as did my appreciation for Doreen’s magical touch. My mother-in-law lives for the Spring, when she can plant and tend to her beautiful flowerbeds. Once gardening season arrives, everything else falls by the wayside; she puts painting, bridge and even volunteering at the hospital on hiatus while she exercises her green thumb. She used to live on an acre that I called “Butchart Gardens.” Her creativity and love blossomed all over the property. I had never seen so many varieties of shrubs, plants or flowers! The colour combinations in the flower baskets she created were just beautiful. Her vegetable garden was better than a farmer’s market. She is my encyclopedia when it comes to gardening. The images below are all from her garden!
I think we all have one particular person that is our go-to for advice and support when it comes to things that we are not particularly great at. The experts that most come to my mind are our mothers. We forge incredible bonds with the women we surround ourselves with everyday. It’s no surprise that Mother’s Day falls in Spring, when the world celebrates rebirth and the circle of life, and the flower petals remind us of the softness of a mother’s touch. Mothers are amazing, resilient people who happily undertake the world’s toughest job: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
The world’s toughest job This Mother’s Day, take the time to reflect and thank the various women who have influenced you – mothers, aunts, sisters, grandmothers and yes, even mothers-in-law. All my best for a beautiful season, Mindy |
