Gardener Folks - Kim Aitken — Steven Wells The Gardener

Hello Gardener Folks.

I hope you’re enjoying your gardening and that you’re ready for your next dose of Gardener Folks inspiration.

Let me introduce you to Kim Aitken who I was inspired by during a chat earlier this year while standing in a garden nursery. I am absolutely delighted by Kim’s enthusiasm for gardening and particularly her Floral Fridays. It is inspiring to read again about how as gardeners we love to share our garden bounty but also use that to share with others and bring joy to them. And I’m sure you’ll agree when you see some of Kim’s Floral Friday offerings that they’re vibrant, wonderful and uplifting.

I hope you enjoy this read as I did. Happy gardening. Cheers, Steven

Can you please provide a brief background of yourself?

I live in Geelong on Wathawurrung Country, close to Buckley Falls, with my husband Aaron and children (a son and daughter in their early 20s). Originally from Aotearoa New Zealand, we’ve been in Geelong for nearly 20 years. We were also lucky to live in Berkshire, England for 5 years.

How did you get interested in gardening?

I come from a long line of gardeners – my grandparents on both sides, parents, and parents-in-law. Every visit with family and friends begins with a tour of the garden to see what’s flourishing. I also love nature, beauty, and working hard so gardening is the perfect pastime for me.

Describe your gardening experiences now? What does gardening and your garden look like for you?

Our garden is 1500 square metres on a sloping site. We’ve been very lucky to have the front garden landscaped by Lisa Stafford (https://www.lisastafforddesign.com.au), which includes a pétanque piste – lots of fun! The front planting has been in for a couple of years and we’re looking forward to it maturing. The back is a work-in-progress and where we grow vegetables and lots of flowers for picking. Aaron and I spend at least 2 days a week in the garden.

What do you enjoy the most about your gardening?

Being out in nature, creating beautiful spaces to share with family and friends – including being able to gift bunches of flowers on a weekly basis (on what I call my ‘Floral Friday’). We also love the birds, bees and other creatures that share the garden with us. And of course, the health benefits of being physical on a regular basis.

Floral Fridays sounds really intriguing, what are they?

Floral Fridays have evolved over the past couple of years as the flowers and foliage in our garden have become more established and there’s been more to share. Friday’s the day I enjoy arranging flowers for our home, a gentle way of transitioning from the working week to the weekend, and over time I've been able to share Floral Fridays with others.

Several of our friends are wonderful entertainers, and I love being able to contribute flowers for their dining tables and to dot around their homes, as well as herbs and edible flowers for their kitchens. This summer, the flowers - especially the dahlias - were so prolific that I also started gifting bouquets to other friends, and even friends of friends who need a little floral love. Throughout cooler months I’m experimenting more with foliage and fewer blooms.

Friday Florals Kim Aitken — Friday Florals

What are your “go to” plants / planting palette and why?

We have structure in the front garden with hedging, roses, penstemon, magnolias, oak leaf hydrangeas, maples and crepe myrtles. Out the back it’s a riot of colour – in the warmer months we grow dahlias, zinnias, sunflowers, salvias, roses, cosmos, veges and herbs.

Who has inspired or influenced you in your gardening pursuits and how did they inspire you?

My Mum and Dad are my biggest inspiration – wherever we’ve lived they worked hard to create a welcoming home, and as children we spent all our weekends outside. My dad was a builder and was always making home improvements. Mum is (still) a passionate gardener and creates ‘friendship gardens’ with plants gifted from friends and family.

What are some valuable things you’ve learnt while being a gardener?

So many things! How replenishing gardening can be for the mind, body, and soul; patience and commitment; ‘right plant right place’; and the importance of preparing the soil. I learn something from every gardener I meet, and love being part of a gardening community! When living in England we visited some amazing gardens that I took lots of inspiration from.

If you could be a plant in your garden what would you be and why?

Hyacinth … I come from a long line of ‘Hyacinth Buckets’!

What do you either lie awake at night or find yourself day dreaming about with your garden, gardening pursuits or the horticultural world?

I’m always thinking of what flowers and foliage to plant for the next season’s flower arrangements.

What is/are your most favourite tool/s to use when gardening?

My Niwashi gardening hoe and my Merry People boots and clogs.

Do you have a quote or life motto that inspires you to live and/or garden by?

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need” - Marcus Tullius Cicero

And finally, how do you think we can encourage, inspire and support more people to be gardeners?

Gardening is wonderful for the body and soul, an act of love and hope, and a way of caring for the environment. A garden can be created anywhere – inside, on a balcony, in an urban block or something more sizeable – and each brings joy (and produce!).