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I recently was gifted two old gardening books, one printed in 1955 and the other in 1974. What I learned, looking through these books, is gardening fundamentals have not really changed.
As folks moved from rural areas to cities, to smaller properties, the size of their gardens and the whole design process moved from large estate like gardens to small gardens that became extensions of our homes, rooms without ceilings.
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Like all design, we must consider the size and scale when making room for everything we want to do in an area. Are we looking for entertaining space or more intimate areas to relax, sport fields or ponds and waterfalls? No matter what your vibe is, gardens should be an extension of that.
The biggest trend these days is more food growing. With the cost of food, more folks are growing their own produce. I know folks will wonder if all the effort to grow tomatoes in the garden worth it? But you have to admit the homegrown tomatoes taste so much better than store bought. The other big concern is whether or not you can eat everything you grow.
As a child, we often would visit my aunt and uncle, who they lived is a modest house with a big back yard and more than half the yard was a garden. My aunt would can and freeze food from the garden and my uncle would fill my mom’s pockets with fresh tomatoes, corn, beans or whatever was ready at the time of our visit. This is where I got my love of gardening. Around the perimeter of the yard, my aunt would plant flowers for cutting. Growing with the peas in the spring would be sweet peas and then roses, carnation and tons of marigolds. The garden was never perfect. There is always a few weeds, but it was full of love and for me and my uncle a very happy place. This same garden also worked as a place to resolve anger and frustration. If my brother and I started fighting we would be sent to the yard to weed. Try it sometime. If you are angry or frustrated head to the garden and pull weeds. You will be surprised how little time it takes for you to work through those feelings and become at peace with yourself again.
As times change, some things don’t really change. A garden maybe forever evolving but it is also one place that you can find peace and calm.
Denise Hodgins is a professional gardening coach in London. Send your questions to coaching@diggendirtdesigns.com
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