• Lily and Marcus
Lily - when I moved into a new house with my first child I gardened for stress relief.
Hello, my name is Lily. I am a mother to an almost toddler Marcus, a wife, a gardener, a grocery order-er, and a milk machine.
After moving from the inner west to the suburbs in April, we were almost immediately put into lockdown soon after. Finding myself in a completely new area, with a baby and a new property, I decided that if I were to survive lockdown, I needed to throw myself into a routine and find a new hobby.
So began our daily walks around the neighbourhood.
• Marcus with his mobile milk machine
Each morning, Marcus and I would don our walking outfits (him in his hat and me in my Mum-uniform) we mapped our way around Glenwood. I took inspiration from all the homes we’d see on our walks, and it motivated us to better our garden. Luckily for us, the original owner was a horticulturist, so we’ve been blessed with many a trimmed and thriving hedge!
• The hedge as tall as a house
Around August we began to experiment with growing vegetables from seed. We purchased kale, spinach, and broccoli seedlings as a quick beginner-friendly crop. We were devastated at the invasion of cabbage moths which we did not unearth until our broccoli was ready to harvest. Sadly, we only saved one head but we cut off most of the leaves which provided us with a nice side dish to our curries! We try to salvage as much of our scraps using them for stocks and the rest gets fed to our compost bin.
• I grew nasturtiums (with the sun’s help)
Here are a few images of us in the garden and my precious nasturtium seedlings.
• I grew sugar snaps
• And . . .
I find nasturtiums so beautiful. I am attracted to the curious shape of the leaves and the vibrant flowers that bloom (eventually).
Watching my sugar snap seeds germinate, grow, flower, and bear fruit has been so rewarding. I find myself staring at them every morning while Marcus sleeps.
There is something meditative about working in the garden. It has saved us this lockdown, pulling out weeds when we’re frustrated and growing our food gave us a sense of resourcefulness. It puts some control back into our hands on the days we feel helpless and hopeless.
Before lockdown (B.L), we filled our days with trips to the supermarket and driving to see friends. We broke up our day by leaving our home seeking the distraction of the outside world. Now, our afternoons are spent lying undercover and being in the garden.
I found it so difficult to sit still B.L, but now I’m beginning to relish in the everyday. That’s not to say we don’t have our bad days where the crying is relentless (mainly Marcus, sometimes me) and no amount of coffee can lift the brain fog from months of sleep deprivation.
Motherhood is so hard. And it can be so isolating.
Further exasperated by restrictions around socialising, it was hard to come to terms with the monotony. As we edge closer to ‘new freedoms’, I look back and realise how much we have learned from being in isolation. Slowing down and appreciating all the small wins has given me a new perspective on life in the suburbs. I’m learning to show myself more compassion and do the same for my family.
• A cross sectional view of our compost bin
Composting is a must for the garden here. There, food scraps become soil again, there is no food waste . . . and life goes on.
Lily