I enjoy gardening as a hobby and a leisure activity. Most of my friends think it odd for a young person such as myself to have such a hobby. They would rather be out playing football. I have tried explaining to them the great joy I derive from seeing something I have planted grow and thrive while being carefully nurtured. They believe that most things grow on their own naturally without any effort having to be put in.
I suppose that to a large extent I owe my interest in gardening to my parents who are themselves avid gardeners. On most evenings, it is not unusually to see both my parents and I pottering about in the garden. As we live in a house with a rather large compound there is always plenty to do. During the months when rain is sparse all the plants have to be watered daily and during those months with heavy rainfall we have to take care that precious nutrients in the soil are not washed away. Healthy and nutrient-rich soil is important as our garden is full of all sorts of trees and plants. In a constrained area this will lead to a depletion of nutrients which have to be replenished from time to time.
Our neighbours often remark that our house is the most beautiful and resplendent one in the neighbourhood. This is due to the fact that the variety of flowering plants we have are kept well pruned so as to promote flowering all year round. In spite of the fact that practically every square foot of garden area is taken up by some plant or the other, careful management of the available area has given our house an uncluttered look. Fruit trees are a favourite for my father. We have rambutan, mango and banana trees in our compound which my father has managed to grow to a certain height so as not to pose a problem to my immediate neighbours. Some people do not appreciate a garden all strewn with dead leaves.
All in all, I find gardening to be a most satisfying and fulfilling pastime which can contribute to a greener area.
sparse limited
replenished compensated
in spite of despite
