In Touch With Mother Nature

Many people are finding solace in their gardens during lockdown, writes Kelebogile Nondzaba

- Kelebogile Nondzaba

Remember when you were too busy to spend time in your garden? Lockdown has given us the time to give our gardens some tender loving care – and give ourselves some peace and tranquillity at the same time. In this feature we share some expert gardening advice from Renishaw Hills landscaper Elsa Pooley and the team from Life is a Garden.

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD, YELLOW, ORANGE AND RED

Let’s celebrate Nelson Mandela Day on 18 July in style by showcasing the gorgeous golden-yellow strelitzia – appropriately named Mandela’s Gold. It flowers beautifully this time of year and is an amazing feature to plant, says the Life is a Garden team. “Also aloes are out with striking spears of yellow, orange and red, adding some much- needed warmth to our gardens and patios during these cool July days. The global lockdown is indeed a rather scary experience, but it has also presented a golden lining with some much-needed time for humanity to reflect on our impact on the natural world. How chilling it was to observe the rapid decrease in air pollution, the abundant return of many animals to urban areas, and the increase in sea-life activity around the world. Hopefully this will help us all to deepen our appreciation of Mother Nature.”

HELLO, ALOES