From City Girl to Gardener
It had never crossed my mind that I would pick up gardening at my age, and that I actually like it.
I grew up a city girl and spent most of my life living in apartments in various cosmopolitan cities. Back in Singapore, my hometown, I had the privilege of living with my parents on the ground floor of an apartment which comes with a tiny plot of land of less than 10m². I have always enjoyed the view of the garden with its various bushes, flowers and tiny lawn that my parents keep in good shape. However, I have never been involved in the gardening, other than on the few occasions my parents asked me to pull out weeds and water the plants when I was younger.
As my parents get older, they are considering getting rid of the plants and paving the tiny green plot. Even though I am not living with my parents now, I would always vehemently express my opinion against destroying the greenery. Now that I have actually dirtied my hands, I understand fully why my parents are willing to take the easier way out and pave the garden.
My Daily Gardening Routine
We got back from Romania about one-and-a-half weeks ago. Since then, I have been spending three or more hours in our garden daily. When I am not pulling out weeds, pruning fungi-infested plants and fruit trees, preparing bio fungicide, hunting snails or squashing aphids, I am busy researching and identifying the various flora planted by the previous owner.
I mainly identify the plants with the PictureThis-Plant Identifier application. So far, I have identified more than 30 plants, including 2 different types of fruit trees, aromatic herbs such as mint, oregano, and rosemary, and various types of weeds (pretty weeds to boot!).
Gardening Is a Sport
Gardening should definitely count as a sport. I have lost the two kilograms that I gained during the first two months of summer in one-and-a-half weeks just by gardening.
The best part is that time just flies when I am in the garden. The thorns of the roses can scratch me, and the rotten apples can hit me as I try to dislodge them from the tall branches so that they will not contaminate the good ones; hauling and disgorging the pots of dead plants left by the previous owner; praying that I would not break my legs when I climb the stepladder and manoeuvre the 2m-long secateurs on the fruit trees; and fervently hoping that I would not accidentally cut off my fingers as I wield the various pruning shears… but I quickly forget all these miseries when I see that the disorderly garden has very gradually shaped up and become less like a jungle.
We want to get a professional to do an overhaul of the garden, and treat the diseased flora. I have put out online requests for gardeners and am still waiting for quotes. So far, no one has yet replied (perhaps they are still enjoying the summer vacation!).
In the meantime, I will continue with my newfound hobby before my teaching at the university starts in ten days!