Blog
Changing Seasons
One of the ways that I find I can switch off from the demands of teaching is by gardening at my allotment.
I find being out in the open air, amongst the plants and the dirt, incredibly soothing and mindful. Most weekends, from February through to November, I will drag my (usually reluctant) children away from their screens for a couple of hours and we will tend to our large - often untidy - plot.
One of the aspects of gardening that offers me a great sense of wellbeing and assurance is the inevitability of the changing seasons. Over the winter months, there is little to do; the heavy, clay soil becomes waterlogged and too heavy to work, so any digging not completed in November needs to wait until spring. If you are lucky enough to get some crisp, dry early spring days in late February, you can uncover some beds and prepare the soil for planting.
Throughout March and April, as the days lengthen and the temperatures warm, planting starts in earnest. Potatoes, onion sets, peas, beans, squashes, courgettes, sweetcorn, celeriac, and leeks, are all planted and begin to yield their crops in the hot summer sunshine; watering and weeding become daily tasks. Dahlias and gladioli that have been lying dormant throughout the winter break through the soil and grow their stunning blooms.
As August moves into September, the days begin to shorten again, and crops start to finish. Seed can be gathered for the following year, beds cleared, and compost dug into the soil ready for planting again the following spring. The cycle of nature continues; we can influence it, but not change it. If I don’t compost, dig over, and plant the soil with flowers and vegetables, it will not be barren, but soon be taken over by weeds, nettles, wild-flowers, and brambles, feeding the wildlife, but not me and my family.
I would urge everyone to try gardening, whatever space you have access to; whether a garden, allotment, patio pots or window-box. It is great for the mind and soul to plant a seed, see it germinate, nurture it with light, good soil, and water, and watch it grow to maturity, when you can harvest its bounty of fruit, vegetables or flowers.
