When the opportunity arises, most of us gardeners like to sit down and watch some of the many gardening shows on offer for a bit of relaxation and the chance to see the new plant varieties on offer. Maybe even for a healthy dose of garden inspiration, something we may be able to use in our own gardens.
Recently, Gardening Australia had a wonderful story where Costa visited an avid young gardener by the name of Noah, an 11-year-old boy on the South Coast of New South Wales. Noah had, rather remarkably, found a love for gardening from the tender age of seven and now, four years later, had managed to convince his parents to remove all the grass from their front garden and replace it with raised garden beds for the growing of the various fruit, flowers and vegetables he proudly displayed to a visiting Costa.
It was something of a joy to see someone so young take such an interest in gardening and I must say the work this youngster was doing would motivate most gardeners to do the same or at the very least have them green with envy. The community around him was apparently a major source of inspiration for young Noah with plenty of verge gardens in the surrounding neighbourhood a boon for the local wildlife and coastal environment in general.
I was impressed with the knowledge Noah displayed and the enthusiasm he had for growing everything from cucumbers to natives to ornamentals. He even grew an apple tree from seed! Costa presented him with a gift of native plants which they both planted into some good quality soil for native plants that Noah had cultivated. The varieties included Grevillea sericea ‘Pink Spider’ and a native pea plant known as the Heart-Leaved Shaggy Pea or Oxylobium cordifolium. A good way, Costa said, to attract native bees and other pollinators into the garden – hopefully not to eat any of the produce though!
It’s always nice to see upcoming generations embrace gardening in all its forms, particularly if that inspiration is drawn from the community around them. We should all be looking to plant more natives in our garden to go with whatever else we may choose to grow. A bare empty patch in your garden is nothing but an opportunity to plant something new. It should never be a wasted space or simply left for the weeds to take over. It doesn’t have to be on the scale of Noah and his family right from the outset but, bit by bit, you too could have a productive and beautiful garden with a bit of effort. Even better if your neighbourhood jumps on board and creates a healthy environment for everyone.
A particular highlight of the segment was when he greeted Costa at the door with a full fake beard complete with grass and flowers – a regular Mini Costa indeed!
