Memoirs of a Gardener

My daughter asked how long have I enjoyed gardening and I automatically replied 'all my life'. That got me thinking.

I have loved being in the garden ever since my family moved to South Australia when I was 5. Dad was just 40 when we 10 pound tourists made the trek out from the mother country. Dad had gardened in England, trying to bring some life back into the rubble that was a post war London garden.

He planted fruit trees in the back garden of our SA home and they just grew and grew. He had nectarines, peaches, mandarins and lemons. There were almonds trees and a vegetable patch. Everything just grew! He couldn't believe his eyes and I shared in his enjoyment. I have strong memories of sitting in the wheelbarrow soaking up the sun, watching him work and watching the dog playing adoringly at his side. I would make mud pies with the the dirt he was digging over and sell them to him when he rested.

As I grew up and moved into my own homes I discovered the joy of growing native plants (very avante guard in the 70s), then flowers, then more traditional plants and, as always, fruit and veggies. Ponds became my 'signature dish'. I have had a pond in every home I lived in, except the first flat of course.

My first home with Ruprecht was a half acre block in Murrumbateman, NSW and we both revelled in creating our lovely garden. There was tension....I love rustic, he loves ordered. He loves topiary, I like trees to look like trees. When he prunes, he cuts off branches. When I prune, I pull off leaves. We got there but Murrumbateman has a harsh climate ( minuses in winter and over 40 in summer) and we had fallen in love with the garden friendly climate of Northern Tasmania.

So here we, in 'Mugrat's Garden', enough room for his projects and mine. Distinct pockets of garden where natives, flowers and more traditional plants live happily together. We have the time, and the water, to hone our edible garden skills and the signature pond resembles a lake!

Dad would have loved this garden. He would have loved the temperate climate and the rewards you can reap with a lot less effort here. I would have even treated him to some pretty spectacular mud pies.

Bird Update........