One of the fondest memories I have of my nana was visiting her on a weekly basis and being shown her magical garden which looked more like a farmers market. There was always something new depending on the season, rows of endless zucchinis, tomatoes, carrots, beans growing up the lattice wall tied with her stockings and more impressively the grafted fruit trees producing multiple types of fruit on one tree. That’s what I call a green thumb 😀

When I became ill, my thoughts turned to my dear nana and her magical garden. Maybe her talents had been passed down to me, I was willing to give it a go for my health’s sake.

After researching, I planted the seasonal basics and tended to them each day keeping a close eye on the progress. This not only gave me a hobby and something to look forward to but it got me doing extra exercise outside giving me a healthy dose of Vitamin D. I was shocked how quickly the plants started to shoot 🙂 Could it be this easy? There were a few lessons learnt along the way such as covering tomato plants in extreme Australian sun to avoid burning the plants and making sure I watered all plants early in the morning before the heat.

After a period of roughly 60 day my garden started to flourish and my enthusiasm grew to learn more about gardening and the benefits.

THE BENEFITS

For a start you can save money by planting vegetables that are a staple in your diet. The organic health benefits attached to having your own fresh pickings are second to none. Once you pick your vegetables and fruits, the nutrients start to break down immediately. It’s best to wash the produce just before consuming to avoid spoilage. Imagine how long the vegetables have been in storage before you get them off the supermarket shelf?
Getting outdoors and getting that extra exercise will make you feel great as well as giving you a purpose.

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In 90 short days everything was flourishing and my own magical garden appeared 😀 My nana would have been so proud of me, my beautiful mum was impressed. One of my favorite benefits is the convenience of going outside to see what is ready to pick and planning my meal around that. Did I mention the taste? I hadn’t tasted or smelt anything like these vegetables since my nana’s garden.

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LOOKED WHAT I PICKED TODAY 😀