Back Garden Make-over With Movement In Mind

Using the space I already have to encourage more movement is something I have recently got into.

A space for movement can mean different things to different people! And it will depend on where you live. It will certainly require imagination and creativity. I  hope I can give you a few ideas worth implementing!

For me, it means planting more fruit trees, growing more vegetables and herbs as well as patches of bee- and butterfly-friendly wildflowers, which involves a fair amount of physical activity just to get to this stage and more to come in terms of picking, preparing, peeling and cooking!

It means adding a stony path to give the many joints of my feet (33, to be precise) the opportunity to articulate in different ways each time I go and hang the washing out, or pick some herbs to make tea with (mint, fennel, etc.) or pick some cherries to munch on.

It means climbing and stepping from one area to the next, up onto the wall, down steps. I'm lucky that the garden is on a slope, so plenty of incline to keep my ankle and hip joints well-oiled.

It means offering my feet different textures to feel and mold themselves around, keeping stiffness at bay.

I like to add interesting things to see, smell, feel, touch, pick and eat, stimulating all my senses in a variety of ways.

We will have many fresh, mixed salads to put together this summer, with crumble and freshly picked fruit to follow and vegetable stews to indulge in well into the winter, keeping us active in the kitchen and delighting our family's taste buds.

All in all, a sensory experience that invites movement during the glorious growing season.