Down in the garden

There comes a time when retirement beckons to us all. Time for hobbies and travel, family and friends.

And after a lifetime of work and raising families retirement is about quality time with an emphasis on one’s own personal health and wellbeing.

Although mobility and health issues will impact us as we age, there is also opportunity to take up all manner of pursuits, including that yoga or woodturning class that will help keep muscles strong and active. Or to simply spend time in the garden; great mindfulness for body and soul.

I think gardening keeps us rooted in the present and excited about the future. Winter was the down time after a summer and autumn that saw plants revelling in the best La Niña conditions for a decade, after years of inconsistent rainfall. There has been an extraordinary amount of growth after drought and bushfire laid waste to much of the country, so that at least in the interim we can sit back and enjoy the fruits of a bountiful year.

The COVID-19 pandemic itself has also given reason for a period of introspection after it put all our lives in a tailspin and made access to natural spaces high on the priority list of human need.

For anyone with a bucket list it’s a great time to dream and to be grateful. From a visit to a quaint country town to the wildflowers of Western Australia, there are so many options to visit or revisit our favourite places.

And for those that can’t travel, indoor plants are back in a big way. The potted garden never goes out of fashion and there will always be a garden to work on, however small, to fill with all manner of beautiful plants.