Extract from Why Gardens Matter by Joanna Geyer-Kordesch

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Acknowledgements the seed of Why Gardens Matter was nurtured by a series of talks and discussions presented at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh as part of the 2015 Scottish International Storytelling Festival. It was then developed following my debilitating stroke. It is illustrated by historical prints and sketches and poems from the journals I kept during my long period of recuperation. My love of conversations brought this book to life. In the first days of my stroke I realised that I could not say words of any kind out loud – I then knew how crucial communication was. I visualised words. And this was when I received comfort, encouragement, kindness and sympathy. Those near me did not treat me as un-knowledgeable, unlearned or disabled in my mind. Thank you all heartily. But especially Jim Paterson, my husband; Donald Smith, Director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival at the Storytelling Centre; Gavin MacDougall at Luath Press who accepted my book for publication; Alice Young and Carrie Hutchison (Luath Press), who did so much in assisting me in bringing the book to fruition both in words and artwork; and Lauren Grieve (Luath Press), who realised how difficult it is for people with disabilities to get out and about and hold talks. I also want to thank everyone who worked on this book for their patience and words of encouragement, and those special people everywhere that take the time and trouble to help those with disabilities. •
Introduction gardens have a special place for each and every one of us. Whether owning one, planting one, or just looking at different gardens while ambling down the street, they are part of our lives. They matter. And in many more ways than we might imagine. This book puts gardens and their history at its core, but in a different way. The many and varied historical gardens make a claim on our attention. It is interesting to know what meanings were attached to them. But, beyond these actual gardens, there is also the garden of our mind and imagination. This garden too is very real. It allows us to perceive gardens as stories, as projections and as part of our emotions and feelings. We do not just try to keep a garden next to the house or go for a walk in the park; we can let plants speak to us as we become part of their growth. This is encountering gardens as places of healing. Both aspects are vital. In the garden you can plant up, dig and mulch, wait for roots to take hold, watch for flowers to emerge and dead-head the roses to let them bloom afresh. There is always plenty to do. In fact, there is no end to the garden chores. In spring all the plants come out and start showing in a new green. The anticipation is high. The buds swell. The leaves show in their sweetest and lightest and most innocent, fresh, childlike colours. It is this seasonal change which is important. It seems conventional and not worth noticing except for the labour it demands – the weeding and the pruning. But change also carries the message that we alter and we age. To do this gracefully, we can think of how the garden expresses time’s passing. After spring, summer comes. And there is a riot. Every bush and tree and flowerbed pushes out its own colourful glory. The
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Extract from Why Gardens Matter by Joanna Geyer-Kordesch

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