Garden Tool Set

Mind in the heart

The mind of a young gardener resides in his heart. It must be so, because looking back; that's how I remember it.

As a youngster it was my job to cut the grass in the back garden. I remember being shown how to use the Flymo, which was my first lesson in gardening and then subsequently cutting through the wire, which later became my first lesson in wiring! I enjoyed cutting the grass, it took logic and common sense. We had a path down the middle of the garden with grass on both sides, you see. So I worked out that with the cable on the path, if I started closest to the path and mowed lengthways going away from the path, then the cable would never be in the way. It was also good exercise!

I also distinctly remember the first pond I ever dug. It was a rather painful affair. I had decided that I'd use the double glazed window that was in the back garden (who knows why?) for the bottom. This, I rationalised, would give the wildlife quite a natural pond as it would be able to see the soil at the bottom, while helping to keep the water in. The only problem was that I was impatient. It seemed that no matter how big I dug the hole or how I positioned the window, it just wouldn't fit. So I had the marvellous idea of walking over the glass to force it into the hole. I then spent the evening in casualty as my right leg had gone through the glass and I needed plenty of stitches and a few months of out patient visits to heal the two large deep gashes in my leg. I still have the two wide scars on my shin to prove it - I feel that these give me wildlife gardening credentials of the highest order! Never the less, the pain was worth it. Shortly afterwards a liner was purchased and the pond was filled with sticklebacks aquired from a nearby pond!

That was the first of three pond designs. My favourite was the second design. A small pond with a foot of ground on all sides. Flanked by two walls, a path, and a lilac bush. It was cosy and it looked professional, at least flicking back through my memories, that's how I remember it.

Unfortunately I was inspired by other, larger ponds and I started to listen more to the mind in my head. During a trip to see family in the Netherlands, I drew up plans. I presented them to Mother, who she was suitably impressed. Upon our return, I removed the large lilac bush (a thing I now regret) and planted some of it at the end of the garden. With the small pond in situ, I dug a larger pond a couple of feet away and used a plastic water fall to connect the two. While I did enjoy that design and hunting for a suitable pond pump in the catalogues, I longed for the cosiness of that design and the scent of the lilac so close.

As I've grown older; I've become more tentative. I could grow anything as a youngster, but now I look in books to ensure I do things the 'proper way'. To some extent, there is no proper way, plants are so forgiving. I remember the climbing roses that I bought as a teenager. I also remember my mum 'pruning' them to the ground each year. They forgave her, as did I, and grew back rapidly every summer and produced lovely blooms. I so wanted to train it along the fence where it grew - which I knew I could do given a couple of years growth, although I didn't really know why I knew - it was just that mind in the heart again.

Hopefully in time I'll get back to having my mind in my heart, even if it is backed up by some knowledge of the how and why plants and gardens work. Although, if I'm honest, I think I'll refrain from launching my body through glazing in my attempts to encourage wildlife in the future!