Vandalism won’t stop gardening enthusiast
Garden enthusiasts bed of roses vandalised.
THEY say gardening is good for the soul. Durban North resident, James Easton, can vouch first-hand for the therapeutic effects. The 24-year-old Mvule Road resident has been drug and alcohol free for the past two years and said gardening has helped him on the road to recovery.
“I had a drinking and drug problem and I saw how it was destroying not just my life, but my family’s. I’ve always loved being outdoors and gardening took me away from everything.
“I just love prepping the soil, planting the seeds, caring for and nurturing flowers, watching them grow. I have a complete faith in the healing power of the land,” he said.
The results have proved fruitful for the former St Barnabas youngster and his garden certainly reflects it.
Rows of blooming roses greet you outside the Easton residence, while the garden is a veritable gardening enthusiast’s delight, with bonsai trees, koi fish, hydrangeas and petunias in abundance. There’s even a plan for an orchid house.
Even an act of senseless vandalism won’t deter him. Last week, James heard a car revving its engine outside his house.
“When I came out I saw about three rows of roses had been run over, not once but three times. The person or people had even reversed over it. Initially I was really disappointed and angry but I’ve since made a conscientious decision not to let it get me down.
”As much as I love growing things, it’s also been about sharing it with the community,” he said. “Since the incident, the community have been really supportive and I’m going to continue making people smile.”
Easton dreams of starting his own landscape business.
