Not sure how old I was. I was my father's shadow on the Allotments and although me & my brother played a bit, we did work on the plots too. It's debatable as to whether I was 5 or a bit more, but I really got going when dad marked off a bit of one plot when I was about 8, and said that's your bit look after it you can grow what you want. I did have a phase in my late teens early 20s when riding motorcycles & hanging out with mates took over but I soon came back to it once I was married. It's just something I have always done and always will as long as I am able to. Me and my wife garden together at home. I do the Allotments mostly myself.
@Heartinthedirt We had a Greenhouse too. There was something about the smell of growing wet vegetation that appealed to me. I also loved the smell of a dusty old shed both made me feel at home and secure as a child.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
As a child I hated gardening - probably because my brother and I were forced to 'help'. That meant weeding chickweed out of the gravel paths and clearing up after the cutting of (what seemed like) miles of privet hedges. Don't remember ever being encouraged to 'have a go' at something creative.
My grandpa (who I adored) had a lovely garden and his 2nd wife was a keen gardener. I have many happy 'scent & taste' memories from there and, subconsciously, I picked up a few tips and tricks and realised gardening could be a pleasure.
My mum (reluctant head gardener) was very ill when I was in my late teens and was unable to garden for the last year or so. The garden was a mess and one day I just picked up a handfork and some secateurs and started work - not really knowing what I was doing but doing what seemed right.
My father was furious - "You don't cut those back - you don't do this - you don't do that - you've ruined the garden". I was so upset. But my instincts were right. Everything grew back bigger, better, stronger. Roses had probably just had their first pruning in 15 years!
My parents apologised and recognised that I'd done a good job and, instinctively, knew more about how to garden than they did. After that, I was given free rein to manage the garden more or less as I wanted. It wasn't the great, green, slightly unruly oasis I would have liked, but we did have the neat and tidy suburban garden my parents wanted. Biggest bonus - I never had to clear up the privet cuttings again!
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
@Topbird My Grandad had an allotment and he used to take me with him. We always visited some pigs on an allotment nearby, all I remember was the flies! He also had a small garden full of Dahlias. One of his favourites was a pink lily flowered one which he grew each year. The soil in his garden was almost black in colour. We went down to Cornwall and I was amazed that the soil was red not black.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
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It's just something I have always done and always will as long as I am able to. Me and my wife garden together at home. I do the Allotments mostly myself.
My grandpa (who I adored) had a lovely garden and his 2nd wife was a keen gardener. I have many happy 'scent & taste' memories from there and, subconsciously, I picked up a few tips and tricks and realised gardening could be a pleasure.
My mum (reluctant head gardener) was very ill when I was in my late teens and was unable to garden for the last year or so. The garden was a mess and one day I just picked up a handfork and some secateurs and started work - not really knowing what I was doing but doing what seemed right.
My father was furious - "You don't cut those back - you don't do this - you don't do that - you've ruined the garden". I was so upset. But my instincts were right. Everything grew back bigger, better, stronger. Roses had probably just had their first pruning in 15 years!
My parents apologised and recognised that I'd done a good job and, instinctively, knew more about how to garden than they did. After that, I was given free rein to manage the garden more or less as I wanted. It wasn't the great, green, slightly unruly oasis I would have liked, but we did have the neat and tidy suburban garden my parents wanted. Biggest bonus - I never had to clear up the privet cuttings again!
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
He also had a small garden full of Dahlias. One of his favourites was a pink lily flowered one which he grew each year. The soil in his garden was almost black in colour. We went down to Cornwall and I was amazed that the soil was red not black.