The countryside and garden... they’re growing on me

It’s finally happened. After many years of petulantly dismissing the virtues of the great outdoors, I now get it. As my regular reader is aware, I have spent much of my adult life avoiding nature, regarding it rather suspiciously and choosing cities instead of countryside wherever possible. For various reasons I’ve been spending a good few hours a week walking briskly in the fresh air lately and guess what? It may well be an age thing, but... yes, I feel all those health benefits people always tell you about when they’re banging on about the necessity of spending time traipsing around outdoors. I know this is not exactly a revelation to most people, but it’s an eye-opener to a nature sceptic like me.

It may be a sign I’m finally growing up, as this mistrust of outdoors was also with me during a childhood spent in idyllic countryside. When my

siblings were out building dens, creating mud pies and generally communing with nature, I was mostly to be found hiding somewhere, reading a book. Indoors.

I inevitably headed citywards when I grew up and became increasingly disconnected from country life, to the extent of feeling thoroughly spooked by the lack of street lights whenever I returned to my childhood home.

Many years later I find myself entranced by the thick, black darkness of the countryside. Who knew?

Now that I’m such an advocate for the benefits of walking in the great outdoors, I also find myself taking a tad more interest in the wee garden at Penman Towers.

Rather than limiting myself to making the odd suggestion about where to hang fairy lights, I’ve started taking an interest in what’s being planted. Not to the extent that I’m getting my hands dirty yet, you understand, but it’s a start.

Don’t worry though. I’m still freaked out by creepycrawlies and much of the wildlife to be found in the countryside, so I shan’t be going the full Good Life any time soon. But who knows? Maybe next I’ll start showing an interest in team sports, the other thing I never got when I was young. I’m rather looking forward to being a late bloomer.

“This mistrust of outdoors was also with me during a childhood spent in idyllic countryside