Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
18th April 2020
Just Be
Someone asked me last week, ‘What on Earth do you find to write about whilst we are on lock down?”
To be honest – pretty much the same as I do when we’re not. It’s a gardening column. My passion is nature. Gardening hasn’t been cancelled or banned. Nor has nature. In fact we are being gifted the privilege of being able to spend more time appreciating both. Most of us are lucky enough to have an outdoor space of some sort and there is still a whole lot of appreciating that can be done through a window. Feed the birds, give them access to a bird bath and you have some of the best entertainment you could wish for.
Growing up, my brother and I knew if we dared say we were bored, Dad would get us to dig a hole and fill it back in. No joking. Consequently, we always found something more interesting (and less back breaking) to do in order to swerve the spade.
I have been asked to write several articles sharing ideas of things to do in your garden whilst staying at home and on Sunday afternoon (19th) I will be on the Lynn Bowles Show on Radio Wales talking about the same.
As someone who is ‘always on the go’ I’m happy to share ideas and seasonal jobs that can be done so people can enjoy time in their garden, but I am also aware that is actually okay to do nothing.
We are human beings not human doings – in this ‘unprecedented’ wealth of ‘home time’, utilise some of this time to just ‘be’. Just sit. Watch the birds. Lie on the ground and look up at the sky – it’s so clear of plane trails at the moment. It’s beautiful. Stack stones. Make patterns with little stones. Draw in the soil with a stick. Watch the bees work the stunning cherry blossom that is in profusion this spring. Lean back into the lack of having to achieve.
Make Time for Meditation
I have got well into my meditating. It is so rewarding. A famous boxer I know also meditates daily and says it is as much a part of his life as cleaning his teeth – and equally as important for good health! It’s an excellent way to master anxiety – we should all be able to calm the incessant chatter in our heads – especially at a time like this.
Another extremely successful entrepreneurial friend puts a lot of his success down to the fact that he just sits quietly for an hour every afternoon and ‘listens’ for the ideas and solutions that come up. He claims it is far more productive than a board (or bored) meeting.
There is a lovely saying, “You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day – unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour.”
Yes it’s nice to learn something new, to tidy up the garden, to devise some outdoor fitness routines but trust me, it’s also good to learn to just sit still.
Winnie the Pooh, one of my favourite philosophers, said: “Sometimes I sit and think, sometimes I just sit.” So maybe, for part of the day, try to be less busy and more Winnie.
Pebble People
As I have often mentioned, I adore working with stone, and love dry stone-walling and stacking stones. Both bring me a huge amount of happiness and one of them brings financial rewards too! But whilst I love stone, I would never have thought of turning pebbles into people.
A friend has got really creative and made the most wonderful Pebble People pictures with river pebbles collected on her permitted daily walks.
Jane Sorita is in the process of setting up an Etsy page but until then you can contact her at carrillojane@gmail.com to buy a picture or for advice on creating your own pebble people. Once we are able to get out and about again, they will also be available from Walnut Tree Stores in Llangynidr.
Be Supportive
As well as ‘just being’, and getting creative, there will always be jobs to be done in the garden and spring is a busy time of year as things ‘get growing’.
Keep the grass mown, edge up grassed areas to keep them neat and tie in climbers that are putting on growth. Herbaceous plants will soon need staking and if you haven’t got proper garden stakes, have a look around at what can be recycled – you may not have got the equivalent of Steptoe’s Yard to mooch through, but an old bicycle wheel for example can make a good framework for herbaceous clumps to grow through, as can an old bbq grill. Hazel and willow can be twisted into all sorts of domes, circles and other shapes to add support and sweet peas and runner beans can even be grown up an old iron bed-base or metal garden gate.
Let your imagination run wild and then try to catch up. I’ll be sharing these ideas (if I can remember them) and much more on the Lynn Bowles Afternoon Show on Radio Wales tomorrow (Sunday). Do listen in if you can.
Leave a Reply