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A Long Absence From The Garden

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I am not even sure when I last visited the site but I have to say you have been in my thoughts many times – just not had time! When you read about recession and the changes that people have to make in reduced circumstances, no one ever mentions the loss of a garden! Yes, there is talk of the loss of holidays, of eating less extravagantly, and in extreme cases of losing the house because the mortgage fell into arrears.

The spectre of all these looms over me at the moment but the loss of my precious garden, even the thought of it, can drive me to tears when everything else can be endured.

I have become a full-time carer for my mother – not much has changed actually, except that she is now officially demented and needs a closer eye than before, and I now tutor about ten children of different ages in science and/or maths. That has been very interesting to say the least; I took my GCSE equivalent more than 40 years ago and, although nothing much has really changed in the subjects, I cannot remember half of what I used to take for granted. The tests are more logical though and easier in that there is less of the “Cutting down rain forests is bad for the environment; discuss” type of question. All that has been replaced by detailed examples demonstrating the principles. Better or worse? I wouldn’t dare to say!

One thing that constantly strikes me is how relevant gardening is to all of the subjects I tutor in:Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Maths. So few of the children have any experience of being in a garden let alone gardening. Compost is a marvelous demonstration of the whole of the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle and how detritivors (woodlice to you and me) help in creating that fabulous plant food we know and love. I wish I could arrange a field trip to me garden for schools teaching environmental biology. I use gardening in all its guises as the way of explaining so much of the syllabuses that I can’t imagine why a school garden is not compulsory – for the teachers at least!

Because I have been so busy with one thing and another, I have rather neglected the garden of late and I am humbled by the way it struggles on without me, producing flowers under mounds of snow and mountains of leaves. I think I am avoiding the garden in case I have to lose it but as the weather starts to improve after all the snow we have had and the coldest winter for 30 years, I can’t hold out for much longer. Perhaps I should request a government grant to save the garden even if we lose the house.

I am still blogging away mind – www.gardeningforeveryman.com/everymanblog.php so visit me there if you have a free moment and spur me into action again. Loss of income makes for a lonely world.

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Comments

 

I'm going to go and have a look there now Gardenmad1.

Your last sentence really saddened me :-(

29 Jan, 2010

 

Not sure if this is any comfort to you, gardenmad1, but there are enthusiastic members on GoY who don't have gardens.... check out our Pottygardener with all her wonderful pots... and GoY member, Balcony, cramming an amazing amount of fantastic flowers into a very small space...

There's always a way to garden... even if not on a large scale...
I hope you are able to keep positive. xxx

29 Jan, 2010

 

I shall take a look too,Gardenmad1.I really feel for you,and it also made me sad.I think we all empathise with how you must be feeling if you have to lose the things that you love so much.I can't even begin to imagine how I would feel in your situation.I truly hope that it doesn't come to that.Now that you have decided to chat again,I hope you continue to do so,and hope to hear from you again,when and if ,you feel like doing so.Take care...Sandra.

29 Jan, 2010

 

You have come back......good....a very positive move. This is the best place for encoragement, sympathy, empathy...whatever!! We are all here for you.

29 Jan, 2010

 

~ I am sorry to hear of your predicament and hope things turn out well~ have a look at the Opal website~ maybe you can encourage the children to get their school involved~ and maybe yourself?~ www.opalexplorenature.org/?q=Spokespeople

29 Jan, 2010

 

sorry to hear about the difficult time that you are having-- with your mum and everything else-- I hope you can find time to visit Goy it often takes my mind off everyday things and its meeting with friends without having to go out in the cold :0)

29 Jan, 2010

 

I feel for you as well. That's a dreadful situation to be in - but stay positive if you can. Talk to us on GOY as well - we're here. We do listen! :-)

29 Jan, 2010

 

Thankyou so much for your support - it is genuinely appreciated

29 Jan, 2010

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