“When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden.”

— Minnie Aumonier

Pauline Blake’s less-than- auspicious gardening story started in 1998. “My daughter was taking private lessons at a friend’s home. Her home had a beautiful garden and I was full of admiration for it. On leaving her home one afternoon she offered me two pieces of a plant and suggested that I should try planting them and see what happened,” she informs the Style Observer (SO) .

“I decided to make a border in a corner of the lawn in which I placed the two plants from my friend, I remember clearly the name of the plant, Angelonia; one was blue in colour and the other pink.

“I quickly realised that I needed more plants to create more of an impact.

“I went plant shopping and then I got bitten by the bug, a term used by us plant addicts. By this time, I needed more space so I took a bit more from the lawn and it continued like this until I felt that I had enough borders to accommodate my plants. My husband, on seeing the beauty, gave me the thumbs up and I have heard stories of him bragging to friends on how beautiful my garden was.

“I love the feel of the soil on my hands and so most of the planting I do myself. The garden is a mix of perennials and annuals, as I have realised over the years that while annuals give a variety of colours they are short-lived, so this is where the perennials and shrubs come in: they form the backbone of the garden.

“I developed an eye for plant selection and so every plant sale that was possible for me to attend I was there with a few friends in tow because they insisted that any plant I was purchasing, they had to get it too because I was spot on with the selections and they wanted to have the same things in their garden. Gardening has become a ritual for me. I wake up in the mornings and take a stroll with my coffee in hand and look for anything that is out of place or needs a little TLC.

“I much prefer watering by hand as I get the opportunity to check for insects or fungi. Fertilising is a key element to my routine as, just like us humans, the plants need their sustenance to reward you with a strong plant that is less susceptible to disease and [will give you] beautiful blooms.

“When purchasing a plant, I try to get as much information on the variety that I can; for example, can it tolerate heat? The name, height and spread of the plant, and the watering requirements. I find this information very useful as it saves me from a lot of distress as that information will help me to decide whether that plant is conducive to my climate.

“What I have learnt over the years is that a garden is always evolving, especially for me, as I am constantly moving things around to achieve the right balance and ambiance with nature. I know when I have achieved this balance when I see butterflies and birds hovering around the garden, especially the hummingbirds; that’s super-special to me.

“My garden is a labour of love in its own unique way. I do chores daily in the garden but yet it’s not tiring to me; that’s how I know I am doing something beneficial.