I had an interesting Sunday last week when I attended the planting of a plum tree in the Alex Community Garden in honour of one of the founding members, Ann Kendall.
It coincided with the arrival of Gardening Australia’s Costa Georgiadis, who was in town for the Gardening Expo in Nambour.
It was a very moving moment for me as the last time I saw Costa he was opening the garden with the beautiful Ann and her troopers.
We also planted a tree for the late, great John Stokes.
It was incredibly moving hearing Costa talk about Ann and John and what the community means to him and all of us there.
It was great to catch up with him and all the wonderful people that keep the garden blossoming and I went home with a really warm feeling.
Now I must reveal, I am not a gardener.
I like looking at plants but hate doing anything in the garden except mowing.
This is unlike my better half who loves potting plants and would probably pot me if I stood still long enough (if I disappear, check her pots!).
I arrived home feeling a little melancholy but ready to watch the footy and was greeted with piles of trimmings and a chock-a-block green bin and the news she had lost her favourite little trowel.
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She suggested I lay down some plastic and tip the bin out.
I decided to tip it in the back of the ute, pick up all the other stuff and go to the dump, of course sifting through it all to find the $5 implement.
Old mate insisted I put the plastic tarp in the back and tip everything on to it to make it easier.
I got to the dump, pull on the plastic and it comes out by itself with not one bit of green stuff on it.
Eventually, I got it all out and I went through it on the ground – prickles, mud and all – and I looked up and there was a little kid watching me, from the car next to me.
I must have looked like Scomo or Boris sifting through the mess they made, wondering what went wrong.
The tip fee was $18, the $5 tool was still missing and other tools were covered in mud and prickles.
I made it home to be greeted by, “I found my trowel. Silly me, it was where I left it last week.”
Costa could make a really good episode for non-gardeners out of this debacle.
RIP Ann, forever missed John and thank you Costa.
Ashley Robinson is a columnist with Sunshine Coast News and My Weekly Preview. His views are his own.
