Our Blaauwheim garden, Part 1

Blaauwheim’s garden, Part 1

Blaauwheim’s garden is my sanctuary, my happy space. It is calming, offering peace and serenity with its colours, textures, scents, smells and aromas which take me back to a happy childhood spent growing up in Kimberley.

I love all things botanical. The garden is the fruit of a multitude of seeds sown in my tender mind by my late father, fondly referred to in our home and family as Dannyboy. We were moulded into seeing “all things bright and beautiful” and appreciating “all creatures great and small”.

He taught us the importance of every little animal in the greater context of things, from the humble earthworm to lizards, bees and chameleons. To this day I have not outgrown this sense of wonderment when I chance upon a little garden surprise.

Another important life lesson was that you have to put in before you can take out. Water and compost  your garden’s soil and it will reward you with flowers and fruit. Do not treat all plants as equal for citrus trees like magnesium sulphate but olives dislike this mineral.

It is no wonder that my two sisters and I cannot help ourselves when it comes to gifts. Freshly cut flowers are  favourites.  Slips and seed rank highly too.

Any garden is a place of hope. Hope is all one has when planting seed. It compells a person to reflect on life and the wonder of new beginnings too.

A blog about my garden has morphed into an ode to my father. RIP Dannyboy.