Discovering Gardening during Lockdown
By Tasneem Mansoor
Photograph: Tasneem Mansoor
Being in lockdown has meant we have all spent more time at home than we would have ordinarily done so this year. Having the luxury of more free time motivated me and my husband to start refreshing our garden to create a space we could both enjoy more. We have never been keen gardeners but during these last few months, we have learnt a few new skills and have come to appreciate gardening as a new hobby.
Photograph: Tasneem Mansoor
Our first job in improving our garden was tackling the dead yellow lawn screaming out for some much needed TLC.
We began by ‘scarifying’ the lawn which was advised by our neighbour (yes, I had never heard of this word either) and boy was it needed. It involved raking up mountains of moss, leaving us questioning whether we actually had any real grass.
We then aerated the lawn by using our garden fork to spike the lawn for better drainage followed by overseeding. One area of the lawn looked very out of place as it was filled with gravel stones; we removed these, levelled the ground with top-soil and lay new turf down. Taking centre stage in our garden was an overgrown and sad Yucca tree that looked utterly miserable. We pruned masses of dead brown leaves from the bottom leaving us with a well-groomed Yucca that now stands proud.
Although our garden has evergreen shrubs and conifers, it needed sprucing with colour. I love flowers and the instant impact they have on the eye, so I quickly picked up petunias that have bloomed all summer thanks to my new daily task of deadheading all the wilted blooms.
I have never previously visited a garden centre before as I thought they are best left to older generations but during the lockdown, I’ve desperately wanted to visit one but they have been closed! Instead, I’ve purchased different flowers during supermarket trips, and so far they seem to be doing well in my care.
Usually chocolate is my guilty pleasure in the shopping trolley but I’m finding it is now plants, and I have to stop myself from going overboard! My neighbour and friends have also gifted plants such as sunflowers and tomatoes which have been lovely additions in getting us started with filling our newly-dug garden border. Now that the Leicester lockdown is easing and garden centres are open, I can honestly say I am excited to visit one as I have a list of plants I want to buy for our new patio seating area.
Photograph: Tasneem Mansoor
It is inevitable to make some mistakes and have certain regrets along a journey. Ours involved our conifer hedging suffering the wrath of my husband’s overzealous use of a saw when all they required was a neat trim. Time will tell if they can be salvaged or whether they need replacing with a climbing plant. We’ve also killed a few plants along the way but I have been reassured that this is all part of the learning experience and gardening can be hit and miss!
There is plenty of research evidencing the benefits of gardening on our mental health and wellbeing and I can see why. I have found that spending time in my garden soaking up vitamin D has boosted my mood and helped me to de-stress during my breaks whilst working from home. Gardening occupies the mind and nurturing nature provides pleasure when you see the results of your work. We still have a while to go until we achieve our dream garden but hope to continue developing more skills along the way!
About Author: Tasneem Mansoor is a Contracts Manager for the NHS. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends and shopping. During lockdown she developed a serious case of green fingers and discovered a love for gardening.
