In celebration of the wonders of nature and the joy of gardening, this Sunday (Oct 15) will be observed as the second national Garden Day in South Africa and nature-inspired design studio Love Milo has a host of ideas on how to celebrate the occasion.
In the spirit of Garden Day, South Africans are encouraged to down tools and reap the benefits of their labour of love by spending time in their gardens. “As big supporters of nature in our personal lives and business, supporting Garden Day is important to us because it’s about creating awareness of nature and acknowledging the positive effect that the outdoors have on our overall wellbeing,” says Nicki Ellis, Love Milo’s co-owner and designer.
Since Nicki finds most of her inspiration for her designs in the outdoors, she spends a lot of time in the garden, and suggests the following activities that the whole family can take part in to celebrate Garden Day:
- Plant a vegetable garden full of your favourite vegetables
- Make flower crowns
- Stencil leaves and flower pressing are great craft projects to connect you to nature
- Feed the birds - build a bird feeder and make bird seed cookies
- Create a DIY beehive
- Pitch a tent in the garden and have a family camp-out
- Enjoy an evening dinner under the stars. Light up the garden with lanterns and candles for that extra garden glow
No garden? No problem. “If you have a balcony, get creative with pots and climbing plants, or consider building a terrarium to add greenery and life to your indoor space,” says Ellis.
Vertical gardens are also a popular choice for urban dwellers with limited space and are living pieces of art that are great for both inside the home and outside.