One of the things I find most interesting about gardening is all of the people who find joy in doing it! How so many of us can just love this thing called gardening! The process of watching life form around us and being a part of making that happen. The other things I find amazing is how all gardeners face different but similar challenges; or; how one side of the world can be facing a winter garden while another is facing summer heat. These are a few of the things that drew me to start this new series. One that will hopefully introduce all of you to the many gardeners around the world, why they love it and what challenges they face. My goal is to support those around me that garden, to learn something new and as always help promote that love to anyone that may be wanting to start on their own gardening journey!
Meet Ingrid!
Ingrid, of Gardening With Ingrid lives and gardens in the great country of Australia with her husband and young son! Australia is 9429 miles from the United States! It would take me a 14 hour plane ride to visit Ingrid! Australia is most known for its amazing beaches, being the home of the
great barrier reef and many that love to garden. After all ABC even did an article 2016 featuring some of the new young faces taking on gardening called the The Hip Young Faces of Gardening!
I of course represent the more traditional view of what people think of when they consider gardeners. One that has aged and is ready to spend their days tilling the soil and planting seeds. However, it is a joy for us older gardeners to see those younger than I finding that same love. And even more so understanding what drove them to this love. As such, grab some coffee and join me for a moment on the interview with Ingrid where we discuss some of her experiences and love for gardening more and more are starting to enjoy.
What drew you to Gardening, when did you first start?
Some of my earliest memories are of me in the garden with my mum and dad, picking beans, planting flowers, sitting in the sun, enjoying wheelbarrow rides, watching bees and trying to catch skinks (Oma: What is a Skink?? Ahhh.. a Lizard!!) I have always been an outdoor kid and still prefer to be outside far more than inside.
My Granddad also had a lovely property with a big garden that I remember riding the ride-on-mower about, raking autumn leaves and picking blackberries. There is something about the garden, when you really get stuck into a task like planting or creating a new bed, that is so rewarding and satisfying when complete! It somehow brings meaning to life, well..meaning to my life anyway!
Oma: Isn’t it amazing how so many of us learned to garden from our grandparents?! Being a grandma now I truly hope to also carry that love forward with my grand babies.
Where is your garden at? Your yard, an allotment a local coop?
In my backyard. I have a front yard too but have planted that with fairly low maintenance plants. Mostly I’m in the backyard doing things.
Oma: This makes me giggle because I too have a front bed… but its a mess!! One would never know the treasure in my back yard!
What is the thing you enjoy most about gardening?
Making changes to the garden to improve or create new spaces. I love how the choice of plants can change the whole feel of an environment and create a place that you want to spend time in.
What is the thing you like the least about gardening?
Maintenance… I’m not a big fan of cutting lawns! I would rather eat them!
Oma: uhhh yes!
What do you feel is one of the biggest challenges of gardening in your area?
Picking plants that can tolerate harsh weather. We have hot, dry Summers here in Melbourne but the weather can change so quick and be cold and raining the next. If feels as if we can have all four seasons here in a day! Plants have to be tough to tolerate this.
Oma: We have this in common in with Texas, it is sometimes so unbelievably hot in Texas!! Here are some of the things I do to help my plants survive the heat! Helping Plants Survive the Heat
Do you have a funny gardening story?
I was wondering once why my apples and pears from the lower branches kept disappearing from the trees even though I had them both netted. So I went out their one evening and hid to catch the thief and to my surprise along comes my Labrador, who proceeded to get under the netting, reach up the tree with her front legs, pluck a pear from a branch and take it to the lawn to eat!
Oma: Hahaha, good thing he is so darn cute!! I guess even dogs understand the importance of healthy choices!!
What is your favorite plant to grow and why?
Oh this is a hard question for me as I love to grow so many different plants and I think my favorite changes season to season. I am a huge fan of David Austin Roses and thoroughly enjoy Spring and Summertime when I can enjoy fresh blooms inside but if I had to pick one it would be my pomegranate tree. It’s so hardy and low maintenance once it is established. It has lovely foliage and my Son and I just love to pick the fruits in Autumn (Fall) and enjoy eating them sitting on the grass together. So I guess any plant that has an associated fond memory is a favorite of mine to grow!
Oma: I agree I love my pom tree as well; the flowers are lovely and the fruit is amazing and they love the heat, you can’t lose with that!
Do you want to try to grow something new this next season?
Oh I was sooo excited to grow cucamelons this season but I lost all of my seedlings due to birds and slugs 🙁 So they are a must for next years Summer planting!!
What advice do you have for new gardeners?
Don’t be frightened to give it a go. Plants sometimes die but don’t let that put you off-try to work out why and learn from your mistakes. Remember plants want to survive, it’s all about giving the plants the position, soil and water they love to thrive in.
Do you offer any gardening services if so what and how do people reach you?
Yes I offer gardening consults and assist people who want to grow from home and turn their garden into an edible garden. They can message me through instagram: Gardeing.With.Ingrid or my Facebook: Gardening with Ingrid and email me at ingridsgardendesign@gmail.com
If you could interview anyone about their garden who would it be; and what is the one thing you would ask them?
Oh I’d love to interview Monty Don and… one question… that is hard! I would love to ask him lots of questions but I would ask him ‘What is his favorite garden he has ever visited and why?
Oma: Oh my goodness, that’s a GREAT question!! Well, Let’s give a shout out to his insta page on this article and see if by some stroke of luck we can get that answer!! In the mean time BBC Gardeners World has a great Facebook group called BBC Gardeners World Magazine group! You should give them a follow as all the gardeners from the UK are so fun to learn from!
That’s it for this first article!! Leave me a note on any other questions you would like to hear about and give Ingrid a follow, I am sure you will enjoy her posts and stories as much as I have!
Thanks for this article, Oma! I too, like to read about other gardeners. Monty Don is my favorite English gardener. I’ve watched all his shows on Netflix – have you? Thanks again for this series, keep up the interviewing/writing!
Hi Nan!! Your so welcome it is fun to learn about those around us and what they do compared to us! I have watched his Netflix shows yes because they don’t play live here in the US where I am at. So I try and check often for new stuff. I saw this one on propagating roses back in fall it was very good I decided to try it, so far so good looks like my roses MAY Actually have made it over winter!