Wow! The last week has been like a rollercoaster ride. The build up to the end of the year is like approaching the crest of the track. The crest would be Christmas Day, which was spent enjoying great company and delicious food. Coming to the end of the ride sees me reflecting on the year that has been.

Visiting Bellis

2015 saw me finally visit Bellis. This is Jerry Coleby-Williams’ garden. Located in Brisbane, I have appreciated the fact that I live relatively close. However, circumstances saw me miss the last two open days at Bellis. My mother’s day present to myself in 2015 was to make sure that I visited this garden…and I did! What a beautiful day it was, not only visiting this inspiring garden but spending some one on one time with my girl. (When you have four kids, you both appreciate these opportunities!)

Getting through tough times

My garden helped me get through a challenging life situation. The therapeutic value of being able to go out into my garden, whether it was to distract myself for a moment or have a place where I could acknowledge my feelings in a quiet place was gold.

Sometimes I have moments where I feel like my garden isn’t ‘good enough’ because it isn’t picture perfect. But for a few months while I was undergoing a healing process, it was perfect for me. I found solace in my garden.

Which brings me to the question – What makes a ‘perfect garden’ anyway? The concept of a perfect garden would mean different things depending on who you asked.

A perfect garden to me would be a place where you could relax and enjoy the surrounds….and not only for humans but for our insect and bird friends. Having a productive edible component would be super as well!

Becoming Social

Gardening is an activity that can connect us socially. The later part of the year saw me join the school garden committee. I’m an introverted person and being a part of this garden group saw me spread my social wings just a bit.

Having a common goal of wanting to see this garden flourish brought us together. We had most of our meetings at the local cafe. One meeting was held at a parent’s house. The kids had a marvellous time playing and exploring in the back paddock. The parents enjoyed the opportunity to have cool drinks and chat. Working bees saw us building and maintaining the gardens.

One highlight was having Costa come to officially open the school gardens. The local community was invited to attend. Costa’s enthusiastic presentation made for an enjoyable morning.

Appreciating the Ordinary Moments

I once read a short story called ‘It’s the little things that make life BIG’. The message that I took from this story was to find the joy in everyday ordinary moments. Waiting for a life extraordinary moment could see you waiting for a while. You also miss the simple beauty in an everyday moment.

Nature has provided me with loads of delightful everyday ordinary moments. When I choose to slow down and observe what is going on around me, I see the magic in everyday life. For me, this is what makes my life extraordinary.

 

Big Thanks To You

Gardenware has consistently grown over the last 11 years. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of all you awesome people. Some of you have been there since the beginning. This support has allowed me to continue the Gardenware journey and for this I am grateful. Thank You.

How about you? What are some of your reflections on 2105? Please feel free to share in the comments below.