And so, with my folks discovering the novelties of city life, and a new year underway, it became time to effect the changes I hinted at towards the end of last year. In short, I’ve left steamy Durban, with its palm trees, curries and Indian Ocean that on some evenings carries the faintest scent of juicy mangoes, for London, which today is wet and grey.
No, it’s not for forever, which is the answer to the question everyone asks. South Africa will always be home and it’s comforting knowing it’s always there to return to. With this in the back of my mind, over the past couple of weeks I’ve been bracing myself for inevitable homesickness, and I recently felt that sharp, familiar tug, not in the scent of dried coriander on biltong I encountered in one of those ugly South African shops in south London where I am staying temporarily, but in Marks and Spencer of all places.
It was bulbs that did it. You see, while it’s sunny back home, it’s almost summer bulb planting time here and occupying a rack of their own in M&S were ixias, chinks, freesias, gladioli and agapanthus. Yes, some of these bulbs have been in Europe since the 1600s and I’ve seen them displayed by Avon Bulbs at Chelsea before now, but they’re still South African in origin, still from across the seas and far away. Seeing them on the rack had me longing for a bed in which to plant them so I could claim a little bit of London for myself – gardening is all about hoping and investing in the future, after all.
Of course it’s Murphy’s Law that I have no garden bed in which to plant said bulbs right now. At some point I’d like an allotment of my own but with veggie gardening being the new sex here (as I once heard it put) there can be quite a wait for these. Lugging the things round in a pot at the moment is impractical so, in the meantime, while I look for a flat and writing and editing work (a flaky job at the best of times and worse during recession), guerrilla gardening might be a better option. Unless, of course, some of our British readers want a spot of bulb planting done…for free.
Hey Vivh. If it’s any comfort, it’s been raining cats, dogs, caracals and brown hyenas here for days now.
Also remember the real possibility of container gardening, even for bulbs. You don’t even need to buy fancy pots. A large plastic laundry bucket will do. Yes, gardening is about faith and hope and making do!
Yes You Can!
Thanks, Trevi, for the encouragement. You are quite right about the container gardening – in my mind the less fancy the pot the better. I recently spotted some good aluminium rubbish bins on Portobello Road which would work well – I’m sure giant aggies would look super in them. Something to file away for use one day. Until then some potted hyacinths may have to suffice.
Hey Vivh,
Well they say a change is as good as a holiday, so when change is attached to the end of a holiday, hopefully that makes it doubly good?
I’ve found it quite surprising how many indigenous SA plants are being used overseas – that most South Africans haven’t even begun to explore the idea of using?