Two events this morning brought home to me how an interest in gardening can
be carried on through the generations.
I popped in to see my mum (78), she said she thought she wouldn't plant any
runner beans next year cos she has more than she can eat. Not surprising
when she still plants about 50+ plants, because thats how many she needed
when all 7 kids were at home. She has a very large garden, and my youngest
brother mows the lawn, but other than that she grows strawberries, potatoes,
tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, cabbage, curly kale, all enough to give away
to anyone when they visit. (We never like to refuse even if our own fridges
are full of veg from our own plants, she enjoys the giving as much as the
growing.)
Thats apart from the flower garden where she loves bright bedding plants and
sweetpeas grown from seed, no easy maintainance shrubs for her. Every year
for the past 10 she's said she is too old to do the garden, but in spring
she gets ichy fingers (I know the feeling) and starts planting. I'm sure the
exercise is good for her, and keeps her interested. She accuses me of
chopping up every plant I buy, but she never refuses a cutting, and if I
give her something, she'll probably come back with a plant for me. She's
really excited that the grape vine I gave her a few years ago has several
bunches of grapes on, and I have to go and check it's OK every time I visit
(about 3 times a week!)
Later on, my daughter who is 11, announced she wanted to go to the garden
centre to look around. It was her birthday last week, so she had some money
to spend. Once we got there she was excited to see the seeds reduced to half
price. We looked at the ready grown plants, but with an eye to a bargain she
eventually decided on some pansy and sweet pea seeds. She planted some of
the pansies as soon as we got home, but she's waiting until the autumn for
the sweet peas. She said she loves plants, wouldn't the world be dreary
without them!
I hope she passes that thought on to any children she has.

Ann