Even in the darkness...

Mrs E was one of those wonderful humans with whom you can talk forever, which is why I got to work 20 mins after my arrival.

Mrs E is pretty much one of us. She has spent a lifetime working with plants and in community gardens, so she knows a good clearing task, when she sees one. Unfortunately, due to her poor health, over the pandemic her stunning garden was taken over by budleia. It was nearly impossible to even open the doors into the garden let alone walk through it.

This was one of the least accessible gardens I have seen which was heartbreaking to witness given Mrs E's lifetime of working with plants.

It was pretty dark and all I had on me were small bike lights which I managed to tie my unruly hair with, and a larger bike light which I moved from one spot to another. Mrs E, being an expert in landscaping, gave me some tips as to where to start, and so I did exactly as she recommended.

I started at the back of the garden and the minute I chopped one budleia, a wonderful garden began to take shape, or rather, emerged. Stunning pottery pieces, some victorian, waited patiently to be seen again.

Budleia were everywhere and grew very tall, which is why it took me a while to clear a relatively small area.

Waiting ahead of me was even a bigger task - a tree that was almost a health hazard. It was impossible to even walk underneath, so once I cleared the back of the garden and created some space for garden waste , I moved on to hack away that tree or a shrub that gone wild.

Plants are resilient and they need pruning so they grow better. So not only did I helped Mrs E to literally access her garden, I helped nature in her garden to flourish because even the budleia is a wonderful plant.

The transformation was truly astonishing. Mrs E can finally open the doors and enjoy the garden once again.

She was truly pleased and appreciative. Even though she could not help me, but I could tell she would love to, she enjoyed seeing me working away and loving the task.

All her life she has been loving her work as a gardener, volunteering and living amongst people from across the world. She said we are all connected and meet for a reason. I found it very moving and I hope she recovers soon. I have got a feeling we see her around doing community gardening.

The photos I took don't give any justice. I'm a terrible photographer and it was very dark. I filled up four large bags, but there is another part of the garden that needs clearing preferably during the day.

But even in the darkness, one can find light, just like I did on a cold December day.