My Happy Place

Growing up, I never really knew who I was or where I belonged, always feeling out of place, a bit awkward in my own skin.  Clumsy, all jittery elbows and thumbs.  But somewhere in the heart of Fourways, Johannesburg, in a lush, round garden I have found my happy place.

In the centre of this garden stands a round birdbath surrounded by lavender plants.  Bordering the lavender is a circular brickwork path and around that curls another, bigger circle.  In that big circle stands two beautiful, big trees, one with a red bougainvillea slowly climbing up the tree trunk, reaching for the stars.  In this garden stands two fragrant gardenias, faithfully offering up sweet, snowy white saucer-size flowers that lift the spirits on a sunny afternoon.  One half of the circle around the birdbath-garden is covered in creeping ivy, solid green glossy leaves that cover an assortment of bugs and slugs. 

Slightly off to the right stands a proud blood lemon that produces lovely orange coloured lemons that’s slightly sweet, slightly bitter and makes a marvellous lemon curd.  Its companions, a baby lime tree, one standard lemon and one cumquat tree that produces huge egg-shaped fruit, year after year.  The sentinel of the far right corner is the Lulu-tree, more commonly known as a bottlebrush, planted in honour of a much loved little purple Lulu-cat, taken from us too soon.

Three orange hibiscus trees and one yellow one, as well as a red camellia add a splash of colour and four huge jasmines sends the sweet smell of summer through the air, perfectly complemented by a riotous purple and white yesterday-today-and-tomorrow.  A multitude of ferns, clivias and giant arum lilies round off this perfect picture.

A feast for the senses, indeed, but... what I love most about that circle-garden is the bubble of belonging it creates.  When you go outside at night and you stand as close to the birdbath as the lavenders will allow, you are aware of feelings of solitude, peace and complete calm.

Close your eyes.  Yes, at first you hear the ever-moving traffic on the William Nicol, but wait.  Listen.  The constant drone of cars disappear.  You may still hear sirens of a police car or ambulance heading off in the Diepsloot direction, but stay, listen closer.  Soon all those noises fall away completely and all you are left with is the night:  crickets here and there, serenading one another with hope and joy, the gentle sound of the wind dancing through the leaves and then, if you are very lucky, the croaking of frogs to round off the picture!

Silence.  Utter calm.  Total peace.  The sounds of home, the warmth of love.  The sense that you completely belong to this place, in this moment.  Skin surrounding bone, elbows and thumbs behaving, heart beating steadily.  Love surpassing all.

 

Mila having a drink of water. 
This picture was taken in the summer of 2006, after the trees have been severely trimmed and the lavenders were still babies.