GEORGE NEWS - You don’t need a sprawling garden or a big budget to create something beautiful. Sometimes all it takes is a little imagination, a few discarded pieces of wood and a family willing to get their hands dirty.
For Mandy Conradie and her 14-year-old son, Owen, a small garden at their rented home in Loerie Park has become much more than a place to grow flowers and vegetables.
It has become a family project with plenty of laughter, trial and error and the simple pleasure of watching things grow.
We spoke to Mandy ahead of Garden Day on Sunday 18 October.
When the Conradies moved into their home six years ago, the garden consisted mostly of grass, with a few plants along the borders.
Some patches of lawn stubbornly refused to flourish, and a brief stint keeping chickens probably didn’t help matters.
One day, Mandy was admiring a friend’s fruit trees and vegetable garden when she said she would love to have a beautiful garden of her own.
Not long afterwards, she saw a photograph of a tiny Parisian balcony on Instagram. Despite its size, it was overflowing with layered pot plants, a table and chairs, creating an inviting little oasis. This inspired her.
A garden built with love and a little ingenuity
Because the family rents, Mandy didn’t want to spend a fortune on plants or permanent landscaping. Instead, they began thinking creatively.
They put special and more expensive plants in pots so they could eventually move with the family. They collected seeds, propagated plants, and friends contributed cuttings and seedlings.
They used discarded wood from a scrapyard to build raised vegetable boxes. Neither Mandy nor Owen were particularly experienced at woodworking, but that became part of the fun.
“We turned it into a fun learning experience that we did together,” she says.
What started as a mother-and-son project soon became a family affair. Mandy’s husband Duan joined in, experimenting with chilli seeds he had received as a gift. He and Owen also built a simple water feature together, adding the soothing sound of flowing water to their little green retreat.
Fragrant flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables now share the space, with companion plants grown together to help one another thrive.
The family has also introduced flowers that attract insects, bringing more life into the garden.
For Owen, there is another reward: being able to pick peas, tomatoes and spring onions straight from the garden and eat them on the spot.
More than just a garden
These days, the Conradies enjoy wandering through their garden, checking new growth, weeding, feeding the plants or picking something fresh to add to dinner. A variety of birds have also discovered the little sanctuary.
“Bloom where you are planted, don’t wait for the circumstances to be perfect,” Mandy says.
Her advice to aspiring gardeners is to start with what they have, look for affordable alternatives and never be afraid to try something new.
“Grow what you enjoy, and what your family enjoys. Don’t be discouraged if something doesn’t work. Try to problem-solve, ask a friend or try something different until you find your groove.”
Celebrate Garden Day
Garden Day, celebrated nationally on Sunday 18 October, encourages South Africans to put down their gardening tools for a day and appreciate the green spaces they have created.
Now in its 11th year, the annual celebration is for everyone, whether they tend a large garden, a few pots on a balcony or a small vegetable patch.
This year’s theme, ‘From garden to table: Grow, gather, celebrate’, focuses on the pleasure of growing food and sharing it.
Gardeners are encouraged to invite friends or family over for tea, enjoy a picnic, make flower crowns or relax among their plants.
There is no cost to participate and no need for a perfect garden.
For more information and inspiration, visit www.gardenday.co.za.
Mandy enjoying the fruits of her labour. ‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
