Planting the Seed
As a child I had little to no interest in gardening. The garden was my mother’s domain. I was much happier with my nose buried deep in a book, colouring or drawing. Having not really thought too much about having children, when I turned 30 I experienced a visceral, instinctual need to procreate. With this bodily need came a desire to grow things, to nurture and to plunge my hands deep into the soil. At the time we were living in Cardiff with a tiny back yard so I put my name down for an allotment. 18 months later I was lucky enough to receive my very own patch of land and I was also 4 months pregnant. My husband thought I was crazy to take on the allotment whilst pregnant but when, only 7 months later, we were thrown into the pandemic and the first lockdown it became our sanctuary. With a new baby, no clue what we were doing and with no access to the usual family and friend support, we were able to channel our overwhelm into the earth. It was reassuring that despite what was happening in the world around us, seeds still germinated, plants still grew and still produced flowers and fruit. All whilst we grew our baby and found our feet as new parents.
It has become increasingly important to me to teach my boy Jesse about where his food comes from. To pass on knowledge of growing, of preparing food and to love the joy of home grown produce. And it seems to be working. Now, having just turned 4, he will shun supermarket carrots, yet happily munch on ones he has plucked straight from the ground. Or nibble on the green tops of spring onions still nestled in the earth. Or chew on herbs, plucked from their pots. He loves to help me in the kitchen and is keen to help out on the land, calling himself the seventh member of our collective!
When we moved to Wiltshire to be closer to my husbands family in the summer of 2020 we knew only a couple of other people here. I was craving community and friendship and found Wildling Studio through the Wild Swimming group. I began to volunteer my Thursday mornings on the land - a very special time that was entirely mine, away from work and mothering. So when I took over Wildling Studio in August 2023 I knew that I needed to continue to tend the land here too. Luckily the other women who were also volunteering every Thursday agreed. And so the Wildling Studio Growing Collective began.
We have spent the past few months winding down the flower field and preparing the ground for wintering. We have planted green manure and covered the rest of the ground in black polythene. There are some winter crops happily growing inside the polytunnel - lettuce, spring onions, radish, spinach. The space feels vast and the potential endless, but we have tentatively started to form a plan. We will be growing food as well as cut flowers and will have a dedicated space for herbs. I may have got a little carried away buying seeds in December, so the polytunnel will be stuffed full of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, sweet peas and salad.
I look forward to sharing our progress with you.
Sarah x