Editor and resilient-gardening expert Kim Stoddart rustles up some useful, meaningful and purely fun project ideas
In the busyness of the modern world it’s so easy to get swept along from day to day and week to week by the noise of it all.
It’s almost like a constant background roar if you dare to peek at the news and other happenings totally out of our control. This is why, more than ever, the garden should be, if possible, a safe space in which to play.
Yes, there are to-do lists now as the gardening season gets underway but let’s not forget the importance of connecting with our roots, our past for the present, with the opportunity for personal growth, renewal and, this Easter weekend, pure eggciting (sorry) green-fingered joy.
Pick a few flowers
It’s unlikely we have too many blooms ready for picking right now, but why not take the opportunity to forage around your garden for a few beautiful flowers this Easter? To connect with the tradition of yore, you could wear one in your hair or hat, or find a cup or small makeshift vase to use for an impromptu heart-warming display.
Go on a wildlife hunt
We’ve had some lovely weather recently so the natural world has been on the move. Why not take some enjoyable time getting to know some of the wild inhabitants of your garden. Where is that bumble bee going, what flowers does it prefer, and where are those dunnocks nesting and…. the more you look, the more you will see and connect with the marvel of it all.
Ponder more seating areas
Yes, you might have a lovely bench, sunlounger, or patio and chairs, but how else can you enjoy your garden this year? Do you have room for a hammock, might a new picnic blanket be a fun way to enjoy your precious outdoor space? These are important choices for consideration, and surely a welcome addition to any ongoing list!
Go barefoot where you can
If the weather allows and it’s safe to do so, the feeling of grass or path under foot is truly marvellous. There are so many benefits. Walking barefoot is great for balance, foot strengthening, circulation and you get a little foot massage as you go. It’s also very grounding and good for connecting you to the earth and the here and now of you, step by step.
So we don’t worry, just make sure there is nothing lying around that could cause injury, or any ground-nesting bees on your lawn, and it’s best to wear protective boots or shoes when actual gardening.
Grow your own lemongrass
Oh I love the citrus, zesty joy of this lovely herb, which is an incredibly useful ingredient in many Thai dishes in particular. It’s very easy to grow from a supermarket stalk, just place a few stalks in a glass of water on a sunny windowsill, change the water roughly once a week, and watch as the tiny roots slowly but surely start to emerge, then pot up your new plant and enjoy!
Forage in the garden for something foodie
From the first sprigs of peppermint for lovely refreshing tea, to oak leaf wine (see Lucy Chamberlain’s recipe on page 14) or decadent chocolate and rhubarb brownie (see Stephanie Hafferty’s luscious recipe on page 69), see what you can find to create something lovely.
Make some fine fat ball bird feeders
It’s a busy time for garden birds who are nesting and laying eggs. Keep them powered up with homemade fat balls.
Melt some lard or suet in a pan and stir in a variety of seeds or some old grated cheese. While it is ‘cooking’, make holes in the base of small yoghurt pots, thread a long piece of string through then fill the pots with the melted mixture.
Pop it in the fridge and when the pots have hardened, cut away the pots and hang the delicious fat balls in a tree.
Alternatively, roll pine cones in the mix and hand them up once it has gone cold.
‘Plant’ a mini pond
Mike Palmer talks about all things water features on page 50, and this bank holiday weekend is a perfect opportunity, if ever I saw one, to create a mini pond out of a spare bowl in a border. Just add water, a few stones and maybe a plant or two and watch as the birds and wildlife flock to it.
You could leave a margin of bare soil around it and sow some colourful pollinator-friendly plants such as calendula, nasturtium or honesty to create an attractive oasis.
Create a lovely backdoor herb tea planter
The likes of peppermint, chamomile and lemon balm make delicious infusions, so why not plant some up this weekend near the home for easy pickings, and look forward to relaxing with a flavourful home-grown cuppa.
Do remember, though, that lemon balm and mint are invasive so keep them potted up individually.
Grow some ‘egg’celent salad sprouts
Generations of children have grown cress in half eggshells, but why stop there? Tasty, nutritious microgreens will also grow well in eggshells on a sunny windowsill. Great for gardeners young and old, these can bring back memories of egg display competitions at school. Remember those?
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