Week Twenty-Four: Why Women Grow

Today I’ve been listening to the audiobook of Why Women Grow: Stories of Soil, Sisterhood and Survival by Alice Vincent. I’ve been reflecting on my own journey into horticulture and the reasons why I’ve turned to the land and to soil. Sowing seeds have felt like setting intentions and bring a sense of wonder and hope for the future. This has helped me to refocus my mind onto the present moment and helps to prevent any ruminating thoughts about the past. This takes practice, and the more time that I spend tending to plants then the more my mind has a break from the times that have challenged me. As I am starting to clear my allotment to make way for Slow Colour Yard, I am reflecting on my experiences of community gardening and what they have taught me.

Community Gardening 2025

Gardening reminds me of what is beautiful in life. The sensory elements of soil and water remind me of the times I have stuck my hands into clay. Gardening is about creativity and care. It has brought a sense of safety, comfort, and freedom. It has ignited a sense of drive and ambition, bringing back aspects of my personality that had been lost for a while. A want to learn more, to try something new, to connect to the earth. Gardening is about trial and error. Purchasing plants feels like cheating to me. I like to grow my plants from seed and I am comfortable with the fact that some way work out and some may not.

As I am completing training in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture, I am reflecting on some of the soft skills that can be developed through community gardening. I am thinking about the experience of taking ownership of a raised bed to grow plants of my own choosing and how this contributed to the wider community of a garden. A place to feel grounded, to take the lead, and to make mistakes without worry. I only hope that this time next year I will be hosting seed sowing sessions for women at Slow Colour Yard, holding space for women to set their own intentions for the future.