WE HAVE said many times that gardening serves so many purposes.

It means a great many things to so many people.

While by now you should be enjoying the fruits and vegetables of your labour - and love – spare a thought for the humour of gardening.

There are so many good memories that are made in the garden and if you think about it, it is probably the scene of so many laughs.

We have a sympathetic chuckle at the garden centre every time someone comes in and recalls how their partner was a little heavy-handed with either the roundup, or with the pruning.

A favourite story in our family involves an unsuspecting adult family member picking chillies and then inadvertently rubbing their eyes.

That certainly made the kids howl with laughter and provided them with a valuable science lesson at the same time.

With Valentine’s Day just gone, it reminded us of people buying flowers for their loved one on days other than the 14th of February.

When they say they don’t know what to buy for their partner, the best way to find out is to first ask what they’ve done and how much forgiveness they need.

Sending the older kids to the store to get the price on left handed gardening tools was always a fun trick and teaching the younger kids that corn has ears and potatoes have eyes is always interesting.

What about the large scale gardeners who are considered experts, because they’re always out standing in their fields?

Then there’s the one about the bloke who was asked by his wife to pick up some organic vegetables on his way home:

“I’ve got to buy these for my wife,” he tells the shop keeper. “Have they been sprayed with any poisons?”

“No,” said the shop keeper. “You’ll have to douse them yourself.”

If your favourite sports team is doing badly, you could always use the line about the coach being unable to coach an invasive vine over a fence.

And finally, you haven’t really lived until you’ve tasted potato and leek soup, having mistaken immature garlic shoots for leeks - a reminder to label what you plant in your vegie patch!

Five ideas for having fun in the garden

BESIDES having a barbecue and drinks in your garden, take time to have fun in your garden this summer.

• A great thing to do to get your mind off these crazy times is trying your hand at drawing. Find a simple plant or even a leaf and really look at it. Draw an outline and then observe all the markings and really hone in on the smallest details. The end product may surprise you, but regardless, the process is great for your brain. Don’t forget to leave the phone inside.
• Build a mud kitchen for the kids or grandkids. Find a lovely little nook in your garden where the kids can make mud pies, have cups of tea and generally have fun outside. It doesn’t have to cost much, you can often source the things you need to furnish it from old bits and pieces in the shed and a quick trip to St Vinnies for an old kettle or two.
• Put the tent up! These hot nights make it the perfect time to pull out the old tent and give it a good air. The stars will look amazing and you just might re-ignite your interest in going camping again.
• Pick a project that will attract desirable wild life. Build an insect hotel, create a frog habitat with some old PVC pipes and a bucket, or get that bird bath idea happening.
• Try your hand at flower pressing and make some beautiful cards and artwork with some of your favourite flowers. Try to pick ones that will dry quickly so the colours will still be beautiful. Pansies, violets and geraniums are really good to use.

Gardening in small spaces

JUST because you have a small garden doesn’t mean you can’t have fruit trees.

There are now loads of dwarf varieties of citrus, peach, apple, nectarine and apricot.

There are also varieties of peaches and apples that grow as a column shape so you can fit more into your garden.

Nothing compares to the taste and health-giving benefits of freshly picked fruit.

After a few years you’ll even have enough left over to preserve or share with friends.

If you’re great friends with your neighbours you might even choose varieties that are different so you can swap or buy a dwarf fruit tree that can be used as a cross pollinator.