Last year a psychic told me I loved gardening, not to mention dirty hands covered in soil. This couldn’t have been further from the truth – my garden was, quite frankly, like the Day of the Triffids with head high weeds dominating  the space the trampoline didn’t monopolise. Gardening felt like housework and it was the one mindful activity I just couldn’t embrace.

But his words had sown a seed:

I had  been exploring a more Ayurvedic approach to life and menopause. Ayurveda is the sister science of yoga, steeped in ancient tradition, and is recognised by the WHO as one of the oldest medical systems. It’s a beautifully holistic, whole-body approach to physical, mental & emotional wellbeing, with herbs an essential part of Ayurveda: cooking with them, herbal teas & infusions, herbal tinctures for specific aliments.

I am also increasingly drawn to natural surroundings, and the seasons. I began to admire those living more self-sufficiently,  perhaps even off the grid. In fact I discovered someone in Melbourne who had been off the grid and self-sufficient for 15+ years and  felt inspired. After all, if it could be done in the middle of a city surely/maybe I could do the same in the Vale of Evesham.

So I decided to plant a small herb garden & Project Greenfingers was born.

I was mindful that a small herb garden was a realistic start. It wasn’t plain sailing as my Percy Thrower-ess is severely limited: I bought marjoram instead of oregano, then potted & unpotted mint only to discover it was sage. There were many other comedy moments.

I bought  house plants for some much needed interior greenery.  The kids began to think I devoted more time to the plants than to them as each day I dreamed of how I could extend the transformation of the garden.

Then one day, completely out of the blue one of my neighbours asked if I wanted some sleepers and top soil. I hadn’t anticipated my dream would manifest so quickly but 2 days later my son and his best mate transported it all around the block. I piled on manure to fertilise it and bought packs of wild flower seeds which I scattered on top. Suddenly I was being given all sorted of plants, sunflowers, pumpkins, squash, courgette, tomatoes, more herbs.

It’s all higgledy-piggledy and very random but I have loved every minute of creating, planting and getting my hands dirty. I have watered and nourished my plants, watching them blossom and bloom.

I had no idea when I embarked on Project Greenfingers how quickly it would evolve and how much I would truly enjoy creating a more natural haven in our garden. It had not – ever – occurred to me that I would be a participant in the joy of creation, but indeed I was, and grateful beyond measure for the seed of inspiration the psychic shared.

Alex is a yoga teacher, mindfulness coach & menopause mentor & you can find out more about her antics on my socials or blog:

Website: alexbannard.com

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Facebook group: Mindfulness & Yoga for Self-Care: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MindfulnessYoga4Relationships

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