Simple pleasures

Star Trek’s Spock said in 1966, “One can begin to reshape the landscape with a single flower”. That quote was given to me by a friend who has a particular love of flowers. There are always fresh flowers inside her house and outside every window there is a strategically placed pot with colourful flowering annuals. Her walls feature paintings of flowers and she wears colourful flowery clothes. Another notable thing about this friend is that life rarely gets her down. She almost always has a smile on her face.

Dunedin gardener, Sally Brown is perhaps the most devoted flower lover I know. This issue, Sally joins Kate Hillier of The New Zealand Flower and Garden Show to give us some floral inspiration (page 10) for spring. Although spring on its own is enough to inspire the gardener in all of us.

Whether or not you are a gardener, connecting with nature is a proven tonic towards a healthy, happy life. If it’s not the flowers that lift your spirits, it might be majestic old trees, native bush, birdsong, butterflies or watching food grow from seed you sowed yourself. We celebrate them all this issue.

This spring, in the process of downsizing our home, I find myself ‘between gardens’. I’ll not last long in the garden-less state. But, in the meantime it makes me appreciate just how precious our street trees and public gardens really are. Every town or city has a special place where its people can take a break to connect with nature. In Hamilton they have one of the world’s best. I got job envy when I talked to Hamilton Gardens’ Gus Flower (page 16). I forgot to ask him if that is his actual given name!