Gardening

By Radical Rhymes

I’ve never really liked gardening. I’ve had periods when it’s been more attractive than others, especially when I was engaged in my PhD, then gardening held some real appeal. I probably had one of the neatest gardens in the area! But other than as a distraction from difficult or challenging things I’ve been able to take or leave it. Well… leave it really.

My mum could never really understand my attitude. She absolutely loved to garden. For her it was about creating beauty and having something to escape into. She would spend hours pruning, weeding, planting and watering. Before I left home, she would rope me into it, especially the watering, and I would do it to save her from carrying heavy watering cans around.

I can see her now sitting on her little deck sipping tea on her garden swing smiling away to herself savoring the sights and scents. It makes me smile to remember it now. All against the backdrop of a golden glow.

Of course, I loved the flowers, occasionally losing myself in the blaze of color, but that was about it. I preferred to be an appreciative bystander than an active participant.

But since my mum passed, I’ve felt differently about the entire enterprise.

I’ve started to take an interest in plants and flowers, and they have taken more of an interest in me. They’d stopped committing suicide in my presence, I now have a set of indoor plants that are thriving, and what’s more I am taking joy in their presence. I feel a sense of achievement that they are sticking around.

It’s gotten to the point where even new projects are possible.

Over the next few months, I intend to do more, to go further. I fully intend to turn our ramshackle garden into an allotment. There will be room for flowers, but mostly I aim to grow food. It isn’t a big garden, but I expect to produce enough to be able to give some of it away.

Now that I’ve written this it’s become a contract. I am going to do it…

Watch this space.
Radical Rhymes is a professional artist working with a range of media – predominantly animal/human portraits and landscapes – including, most recently, hand painted furniture. You can see his work on Instagram Radicalrhymes1969 or on Twitter @RhymesRadical.

For commissions, please contact him on Twitter via Direct Message or by email at: radicalrhymes@outlook.com His work is also available to buy on Etsy