Garden Day 2021 will be celebrated on October 17.
Globally, one of the most popular hobbies to emerge in the past 18 months has been gardening.
Following hot on the heels of cooking, a 2020 survey by GlobalData listed gardening as the second most popular lockdown hobby.
Users on the gardening app Candide doubled in the space of a year and, according to research from the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society, close on 3.5 million people took up gardening for the first time, while online plant sales soared.
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It was no different here in South Africa.
Whether it was a garden, a houseplant or a brand new veggie patch, across the country budding gardeners embraced their newly-discovered green fingers.
Better still, it wasn’t just the great outdoors that saw this trend taking off.
In 2020, caring for houseplants, livening up your home interiors with bouquets and working hard to create a suburban Garden of Eden were equally big trends.
And now it is spring and we are ready to celebrate the fruits of our blooming labour on Garden Day.
Now in its sixth year, Garden Day, created by Candide, is a chance for people across South Africa to celebrate their green spaces, no matter how big or small, and embrace the endlessly therapeutic effects of these leafy respites.
Whether you’re new to the gardening game, with a simple windowsill of pot plants and a burning desire for an urban oasis that looks more indoor jungle than WFH greenery, or you’re an old hand, with a sprawling lawn and your own tips for how to re-pot, split bulbs and take cuttings, Garden Day is a chance to celebrate all your many efforts and your green spaces.
Whatever you decide to do on October 17, do it with a flower crown, enjoy the moment, immerse yourself in the restorative power of nature and share the joy.
We’ve never needed our green spaces more, so join the movement.
To celebrate, Garden Day has enlisted a crew of enthusiastic amateur and professional gardeners to help inspire others.
Legendary home chef and home gardener Mogau Seshoene, better known as The Lazy Makoti, is already looking forward to sharing the day with her family.
“I’ll be pulling out all the stops for a family celebration. We’ll be wearing home-made flower crowns and I will prepare a herb rainbow couscous salad, using fresh ingredients from the garden for everyone to enjoy as we toast this special day.”
Yes, as always, the symbol for Garden Day is a flower crown and The Lazy Makoti is just one of this year’s Garden Day ambassadors who will be wearing this crown.
She is joined by Jo-Ann Strauss, who loves spending time in nature with her children, with Babylonstoren floral designer Constance Stuurman, the farm’s master gardener Gundula Deutschlander, international award-winning floral designer Mabel M and actress and flower enthusiast Rolanda Marais.
“For me it’s a day to ignore my tools and look beyond the weeds and simply be in the moment and take pleasure in the beauty of my garden,” said Deutschlander.
“I love the idea of sharing my green space with others. I am also excited to see how creative everyone will be on Garden Day, as gardening has boomed among younger generations, with more and more actively engaging with mother nature.”
Stuurman said she plans to use her role as an ambassador to raise awareness of the long-term benefits of gardening.
“It’s widely accepted that nature can help focus the mind and that green spaces have a positive impact on health and well-being.”
There are many ways in which you can enjoy Garden Day.
A picnic on the lawn will bring you into direct contact with the earth and allow you much-needed grounding, plus the benefits of vitamin D are known to include fighting off depression and boosting mood.
No space? No problem, set a stylish table. Use teapots and plenty of gorgeous, garden-fresh flowers to create a visually striking tea party instead.
Or do as The Lazy Makoti is doing and bring your garden to your kitchen by adding home-grown herbs to a delicious salad, decorating a cake with petals or concocting a botanical cocktail.
If you need some bright ideas and green-fingered inspiration, Gardenday.co.za has a handy toolkit to help you plan a gorgeous, nature-filled celebration, including recipe ideas, downloadable invitations and crafty things to make and do with children in the garden.
Contact the newsroom by emailing:
Marietta Lombard (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, or (Journalists) Busi Vilakazi busiv@caxton.co.za
