"The pursuit that can best recreate my farming roots is gardening. It requires putting on the "old" clothes, not your "good" clothes, and a day at the graft is only satisfying when you end up wrecked, muck-flecked and in need of a nailbrush at the sink."
"In our cultural history, the garden is something that went with the big house. It's all ladies with parasols strolling gravelled paths between too-perfect rosy flower beds."
The article discusses the connection between Irish identity and gardening, emphasizing that it requires hard work and a willingness to get oneâs hands dirty. The author reflects on the historical association of gardens with upper-class British culture, suggesting that this may contribute to a perception of gardening as a feminine or posh activity. The writer argues for a more rugged approach to gardening that aligns with traditional Irish values, eschewing notions of gardening as merely decorative or elitist in favor of a more labor-intensive and grounded practice.
Read at Independent
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