What’s in my garden?
Five months ago we moved five miles inland to a cottage just outside a small village. We had been living in a secluded farmhouse in the edge of an amazing woodland, but to cut a long story short we begrudgingly ended up moving before Christmas. In the same week that I started a new job. (Top tip – don’t ever do that! Sooooo stressful!!)
Our new cottage is lovely, it feels like a home rather than a temporary rental, with a wood burner and beamed ceilings. But I definitely miss my woods, which are carpeted in bluebells right now. I miss being able to forage 10 different plants 10 feet away from my front door, or watch squirrels jumping from oak to sycamore branch. Oh I’m sounding spoiled now aren’t I?? I live in the glorious countryside, with a host of different woodlands 5 minutes’ drive away and the coast another 10, but I also have to acknowledge the sense of loss I feel for a place I became so deeply connected to. Acknowledge, accept, move on, and go back. I’ve not set foot in those woods in 5 months, and with the bluebells about to spring into bloom I need to get my act together and visit my old friends again.
But the best thing by far about our new home is the garden. It’s huge, if not a little unruly and overgrown, but totally secure which makes for very happy dog owners! And since the beginning of spring I’ve been getting to know it. I uncovered a substantial gooseberry bush, a rowan tree, apple tree, two cherry trees and two magnificent cherry blossoms. With the weather being so lovely over the Easter holidays I have spent hours under a cherry blossom tree, watching the pink petals flutter softly to the floor. We also have heathers, nettle, ground elder (everywhere!!) herb robert, cleavers, wild strawberries and the lawn is carpeted in majestic dandelions.
Moving house and moving jobs isn’t the only thing that’s caused us stress recently. Much like the celebrity cull of 2016, loss has stormed through our family over the past year, unrelenting and unforgiving. And thought it’s been bloody hard to deal with at times I have for the sake of my sanity had to learn to let go of the things I cannot change. And see the positives in what we do have. Because we do have plenty.
Now in the mornings I choose to wake a little early and go out to my garden. Beyond the bramble boundary there are pheasants crowing, lambs and cows and red kites all around, and little birds singing in the new day. And I’m excited to think of all the things that I’ll grow, the herbs, the fruit and the vegetables. Change brings opportunity. And I chose to make the most of it.
