18 April 2007
Wondering whether I will still be gardening 68 years from now…
Feeling a bit creaky and sore after too much digging and weeding? Wondering if you have the energy to fork over another border? Me too. Quite often I feel unfit, weak and past it when it comes to facing tasks we have down the allotment or in the garden. While I know that this is in no small part due to my inability to put limits around the amount of earning a crust I do, it does make me feel a bit feeble at times.
It’s useful, then, to come across something to help me put my pathetic little aches and pains in perspective. This story about Jim Webber, a 104-year-old gardener who has just retired has made me even more resolved to uphold my allotment duties this weekend. Arthritis has forced him to give up the gardening work he’s been doing almost 50 years past retirement age – without holidays! But he’s not downing tools altogether, oh no. He still intends to look after his own garden (helped by his 68-year-old daughter, Kathleen) and sell some produce to supplement his pension.
The chap has serious staying power and I am clearly a lazy young whippersnapper who knows nothing.
Filed under: Enthusings — Clare @ 6:55 pm
Oh wow! I am a lightweight…
Great story.
(18.04.07 @ 8:02 pm)
Hi Redwitch – It’s great, isn’t it? But yes, puts pretty much everyone else on the planet to shame!
(18.04.07 @ 8:24 pm)
I often feel about a hundred years old after a full days digging. One of my plot neighbours must be in his 80s, has one leg shorter than the other and has a very well tended plot that puts mine to shame….maybe it gets easier the older you get??
(19.04.07 @ 9:23 am)
i noted the same story, along with the one about Henry Allingham, the oldest WWI veteran now left alive (there are only three left now), who was written to by a group of children asking about his experiences, so he decided to go and tell ‘em in person. Makes you think about old age, i think. I’m certainly following in my grandfather’s footsteps – he tended his own garden, lovingly, including a large veg garden (in which he grew his own fruit, which he made jam from – his raspberry jam was an unofficial eight wonder of the world) and made his own bread every other day right up till he died at the age of 95. I admire people who just get on with life, reminds me of that old saying, something about not getting too old to play, you get old because you don’t play any more. Very apt.
(19.04.07 @ 11:08 am)
Hi Kethry – Welcome to P’Soup and thank you for your comment.
I remember my Granddad had a big garden, great to play in as a kid as there were nooks and crannies and big trees for climbing, hedgehogs and all sorts of other wildlife. He had a large veg patch and I remmeber once helping him there and uncovering a gorgeous crockery salt pot – whe he used in future to help sow seeds. His broad beans were the best ever.
I visited your site and really liked it – added you to my blogroll.
(19.04.07 @ 11:28 am)
hey Clare – thanks!!!
there’s something special about granddad’s gardens when you’re little, i think. Places full of mystery and food! Their garden was quite large and it felt very secret-gardeny in places. I used to love it.
I’d return the favour with the link, but .. heh.. i’m still getting to grips with wordpress and links and putting some up there.. so i will.. at some point!
thanks again -
(19.04.07 @ 4:14 pm)
p.s. just read your “about” and seen you’re in Kings Heath. I was originally a brummie – born in the “No hope”, grew up in Perry Barr, and my parents still live in Quinton, so i visit every so often
(19.04.07 @ 4:28 pm)