Like so many of you, the concept of a circular economy really appeals to me. To invest in a product, then be able to pass it on or see it re-moulded into something entirely different when the time comes just seems entirely sensible. And for most gardeners, I suspect it is second nature.
Gardeners are a thrifty lot.
There is always a metre or two of string lurking around in a back pocket. A few bamboo canes here and there, ‘just in case’.
Recycling is part and parcel of gardening. Perhaps it comes from the cyclical nature of growing – buds, blooms and then the natural decline of much loved perennials and shrubs rubs off and encourages an acceptance, and almost an anticipation, of the ebb and flow of nature.
Alongside yours truly, I’ve a few other old relics around the garden.
An old feeding trough is now my growing container of choice for tomato plants. Tomatoes start growing at waist height, which makes for a v. civilised approach to watering and pinching out. An old decorating table has become my ‘potting area’, a extension of the old shed, and I love it. One leg is propped up by a couple of logs.The other, is, well, shaky. But it suits me and my garden perfectly.
My latest horticultural ‘squeeze’, is a new glasshouse.
I’m in love. Seriously. My feelings are beyond normal for this gorgeous little 80cm square, glass box, made from the remnants of the old boy’s loo block from our local primary school.
All winter long, I plotted and planned with my long suffering Dad, who took on the challenge of making a few panes in rotten frames into a hothouse for chillies, basil, coriander and peppers. And voila, we’re up and running.
Plus I’m getting a lesson or three on how different gardening is under glass.
Whether you are a seasoned gardener, or a beginner, the garden never fails to give you a lesson or two.
Quieten down, tune in and it is incredible how much the seasons, and the sheer cleverness of nature, start to offer some serious life lessons. At a time when so many of us find the irrepressible pace of technology, work, and ‘life’ so consuming, it is reassuring to think that resetting yourself isn’t far away or out of reach.
When it all gets too much, or the complexities of our world seem overwhelming, a well timed jaunt down the garden path in your socks can do wonders, offering a new perspective or at the very least, a break from it all.
And that, to me, is the essence of a truly great circular economy; the ability to create a natural break, redefine and set new parameters. Flexible, pragmatic and creative.
Or as gardeners would call it, cross pollination.
Liz is an avid wildlife gardener living in Kent. Her garden has won several wildlife awards including a Gold Award from the Kent Wildlife Trust and Best Garden for Bats! Liz runs Denys & Fielding – a company creating colourful gardenware and gifts and this month, is launching the ‘Friday Night Garden Club’ – a weekly email with easy, seasonal jobs to do in the garden for the weekend ahead. To find out more, visit: www.denysandfielding.co.uk
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect Blue Patch’s views.
Want to know more about joining the Blue Patch community? Click here.
