This week it’s all about gateways. We’re just approaching the second half of the year; at school, the exam season is almost done with year 11 and 13 on the threshold of the best and longest summer holiday of their lives after so much hard work and stress; and at home the university year is coming to an end. One of three stands at the gateway of the final year of her degree; one at the gateway to the world of work and another at the gateway to leaving home for his own place. Last year I too was at a gateway having retired from teaching with the intention of taking time to consider the path I was going to walk next. It’s taken me most of the year to work this out but I’m about ready to set out purposefully on my chosen path.
I’m a great believer in using pictures to help reveal intentions, needs, ways forward and so I scrolled through my camera to find one for this week’s post and here it is. It’s a beautifully unmanicured gateway, built of solid stone standing open inviting me to walk through. It will last for years despite the eroding effects of the weather. The structure itself is softened by some beautiful, seasonal plants in various shades of purple, green and white. Some are climbers, trained to cascade manificently over the top whilst others are self-seeders, blooming away with minimum intervention. Not all the plants are at their best, with some having had their day, now running to seed whilst others have their moment in the spotlight. Like my own garden, it requires attention to keep it looking its best; but by selecting the right plants in the right place and spending a few minutes every day deadheading here, pulling up a weed there, ensuring that the soil is hearty and well-mulched and encouraging biodiversity, it stays healthy.
It’s a blueprint for life as well as gardens.
What gateway are you about to pass through and what do you need to do to prepare yourself?
Postcards from the Plot 
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