By Andrea Pavee
Having moved more than a month ago, we are slowly, but surely, settling down.
The garden area though has multiplied in size from what I worked on previously, at the rented house, where I developed gardening as a hobby.
However, as I was contemplating the area I have to manage, an old saying came to mind: divide and rule.
The phrase was attributed to King Philip II of Macedon who ruled the ancient city of Macedonia from 359 – 336 BC. He was of the Argead dynasty, and the father of Alexander the Great. So, he knew a thing or two.
The garden right now is landscaped, but it is not completely mine, as yet. While it does look presentable, I have yet to till and keep it. Your garden is only your own when you work on it, or employ someone to work on it under your direction. Since I am the gardener of my own home, the landscaped garden is not my own, at least, not yet.
To manage the task, I decided to take a leaf from King Philip. I divided the garden mentally into different parts.
Then I picked a place I wanted to work on, which was the indoor airwell cum garden.
Airwells were very popular when I was a child but its use in construction became outdated around the late 1980s. It is seeing a comeback now.
Airwells are a wonderfully ecological way of keeping indoor temperatures down even during the hottest parts of the day. When they are decorated with plants, they work even better plus, are very nice to look at. Plants, as you know, have a way of softening the hardness of concrete walls, rendering houses into homes.
When we first moved in, there were only 2 Fiddle Leaf Fig trees a.k.a Ficus Lyrata, and 2 Swiss Cheese plants a.k.a Monstera Deliciosa growing in pots placed at the four corners of the enclosed area.
Finding it too bare for my liking, I slowly added in varieties of Money Plants, Caladiums, an Alocasia, a Butterfly plant a.k.a.Oxalis Triangularis, and many others. My work is still undone but I am in no hurry and will continue to work the space until I am happy with it.
Whether you have a small place or a big one, whether you intend to work indoors or out, dividing your working areas into manageable portions helps you to keep on track, sans the worry or anxiety of biting off more than you can chew. With that, you will find gardening a very relaxing and rewarding hobby. Gardening also takes time, thought and planning. Take your time, and you will reap the rewards of a beautiful garden space for all to enjoy.
Posted by Chayo, HomSkil Editor 1, 5 March 2022
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