This Sunday is Garden Day, a chance to celebrate the green spaces in your life.
The day was launched in 2016 by Candide, a gardening app that connects gardeners and provides information on plants and how to grow them.
From keepers of rolling lawns, community gardens and vegetable patches to potted window sills, patio planters, and urban rooftops, the annual celebration is calling on plant lovers to put on a flower crown, down tools, and enjoy the fruits of their labour.
From enjoying an outdoor picnic with your family to sharing your green haven with friends online, Garden Day is about taking a moment to celebrate the greenery that brings you joy.
Sibusisiwe Selana, of Gugulethu, has turned a small patch of ground at her home into a food garden, and this Sunday she will be encouraging others in her community to do the same.
Ms Selana said Covid-19 was changing the world and showing people that sources of income and food they relied on one moment could be gone the next.
Her worries about her family’s future food security during the lockdown crisis drove her to start her garden.
She said she had realised when she had started the garden that it would not only cut her family’s food bill but it would also provide them with fresh and healthy vegetables.
Having a food garden reduced the risk of eating vegetables laced with harmful chemicals, she said.
She cleared rocks from a piece of land and prepared the soil for the garden but then realised that she didn’t know what to plant or how to plant it.
Fortunately for her, a green-fingered neighbour stepped in and gave her the help she needed.
Now Ms Selana has developed a passion for gardening.
“I know what I eat and where it comes from. I want to inspire my neighbours as well to start their own food gardens in their space. I share with my neighbours and this strengthens the spirit of ubuntu. On Sunday, I will host few friends and share my story of how I started the garden.”
Garden Day ambassador Constance Stuurman said the event was meant to inspire South Africans to celebrate all things green.
“The past few months, South Africans have turned to their green spaces to find solace and balance. Gardening has been proven to boost both mental and physical well-being and create a sense of belonging and connection.
“With spring in the air, it offers a chance to pause, reflect, and celebrate a season of new beginnings,” she said.
Visit Gardenday.co.za/GetInvolved to find out about events, including a Q&A with garden guru Tanya Visser, a celebrity flower-crown contest with actor and comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout and radio and television presenter Zoë Brown, and garden-inspired gourmet cooking.
You can follow @GardenDaySA on Candide, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.