Tuesday 11 June

Gardening Thoughts

“Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers ” Veronica A Shoffstall.

It has been a busy past few weeks with so much happening that I have not had the inclination to write. The country (and the world) seems to be in a torrid state of conflict with the weather playing its part too, leaving many people homeless and distressed. Even on the farm, the normally tranquil Gamka River turned noisy and turbulent. Yet again, it rose and submerged the little cement bridge. It spread over the surrounding veld, showing its power, its beauty and its destruction.

With this as a backdrop, I decided to garden. For me, life is simple in the garden. It’s just me, Mother Earth and perhaps a garden tool. It’s a place where one becomes grounded again. Joy permeates; my thoughts are focused and I am completely absorbed. Sigmund Freud sums it up when he says “Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts”.

There is a particular sprawling shrub called Zygophyllum commonly known as the ‘Slymbos’.

[Link : https://pza.sanbi.org/zygophyllum]

I love this shrub especially when its beautiful yellow flowers are in bloom. However, it was taking over the bottom section of the garden covering the little Quarry Tree and smothering all the other succulents. Armed with determination, a rake and clippers, I navigated my way down the steep bank and started to trim away the suffocating ‘Slymbos’. After a good while, my body tired, I decided to take a break and reflect on what I had achieved.

The result was breathtakingly beautiful. The grey/black rock proudly jutted out beneath the newly exposed Quarry Tree, creating a solid setting for the rest of the succulents to shine their light. There were tiny little shoots that had been overshadowed by the Zygophyllum and of course, the colourful birds were flying excitedly around, trying to catch their food for the day, as I had disturbed some insects and spiders. The sunlight threw shadows creating warmth into new spaces. It felt as though I had released a stranglehold which, in turn, allowed for a new perspective.

As I contemplated this, I wondered whether there was a connection between the Slymbos, with its bright attractive flowers but its very powerful ability to smother other living organisms, and us, as individual humans?

Do we allow people into our lives who dominate and, in the process, our individuality is swallowed?

Are we undermined by people whom we seem to think ‘flower’ more prolifically than us?

Do we grant others permission to take all the nutrients from our soil for themselves?

So with these thoughts immersed in my conscience, I headed, once again, down the steep bank and continued to garden.