Garden Day: A DECADE IN BLOOM

As the annual movement celebrates its 10th anniversary on 12 October, we reflect on a decade of blossoming creativity, shifting lifestyles and the deepening connection between people and their green spaces. From cherished memories to the simple joy of getting hands dirty, Garden Day ambassadors share what gardening has meant to them over the years

- TEXT: HEIDI BERTISH, SUPPLIED.

'My grandmother’s garden in rural KwaZulu-Natal wasn’t designed, it was experienced,' says Seth.

'It was a sensory overgrowth. Elephant bush brushing against my skin, marigolds picked for Coca-Cola bottle vases... it all left an indelible mark.' The early immersion in untamed beauty taught Seth a truth he still lives by.

Born during Arbor Week, Seth jokes that every school he attended 'planted a tree in my honour.' From an early age, this poetic coincidence helped root a lasting connection to plants and the rituals that surround them. 'I should revisit all those trees,' he laughs. 'I went to six schools — I have trees in different area codes.'

His love of plants deepened during his student days in Cape Town. 'My first visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens as a first-year student at UCT wasn’t for a concert, it was just to be in the gardens. That’s when I started keeping orchids at home. They last longer than cut flowers, and if you're lucky, they'll bloom again.'

Today, between Cape Town and London, Seth tends a flourishing potted garden and experiments with herbs although he admits chives are his elusive Achilles’ heel. 'They refuse to thrive no matter how lovingly I beg them,' he laughs.