by Somaly
Namaste wonderful souls and dear readers,
Let's introduce about my childhood! I was born countryside in Cambodia. my father is a retired teacher and my mother use to be a housewife and farm. they were working hard to raise four children. I helped my parents doing farm work after I finished my school. I grown up with rice farm, plants, chicken, ducks, cows, dogs, cats, and fish in pond. I used a small net for catching some fish in small lakes and ponds. my childhood friends and I played with mud paddles and use clay soil for building our clay toys. we did not have toys in small village and our parents could afford to buy some toys. their priority was to providing us meals, education, health fee, shelter, and clothes. they love, support, take a good care, and provide safety and secure environments. our family live with simple lifestyle. my father was a teacher and breadwinner in our family. he had big impact with his student's life. his salary was small. my mother worked and grew rice in our farm. she sell some rice products at the end of season, so they could have extra more money for support education and daily expense.
After I move to Phnom Penh city, I lost connecting with nature, and animals. I lived and work in city over eight years before I moved to Australia in 2020. I was so lucky that I came to Australia before lock down and boarder restriction. my husband and I live in house. the land did not have many plants, vegetables, and flowers. I could not work or doing volunteer in Australia during Covid-19 period. I decided to learn how to grow vegetables, flowers, and fruit tree in our renting property. we got permission from our landlord that we grow any plants in their property. I started to reconnect with plants and wild animals. I feel love, peace, relaxing, and grounding with my plants. I grow indoor and outdoor plants. I have been grow a hundred types plants in our garden and inside our house. my garden benefit to wild animal, insects, and others ecosystem. every-time I grow any plants in the land, they are growing healthy, flowering, and giving us their fruits. I know that I have discovery my hide talents and a positive new hobby. my soul found it calling and I feel healing and understanding the meaningful in nature. I just read some garden books, practice in my own gardening, and look some Gardening Australia video in YouTube. I got some insight, inspiration, and knowledge in doing my own garden. Here is their offical link (https://www.youtube.com/@GardeningAustralia). their garden presenter was skills, and share good tips. I watched their shows. they have many australia gardener and garden experts across Australia. I love to see others' garden.
These was my small garden project.
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| our renting property use to have grass lawn in 2020. this is our backyard. |
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| we created a garden project in many years. we created our dream life in these beautiful land. this picture took in 2022. |
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| These our front-yard garden picture took 2023. we grow our seasonal garden. we learn to cook, preserved, and use our vegetables as much as possible. |
Mid year 2024, I created So&Jo Fairy Garden YouTube channel, so I could record beautiful memories and experiences with other people who love plants and nature too. It was a new beginning of my YouTube journal. I am in learning progress on how to film these video. It was not perfect video. Everyday I am in good progress. I am self-taught on technology and social media. I also studied and worked at the same time. Here is My Garden YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSRGX5qEWbTxt7xVhd96yg) or link.
Nowadays, I spend ten hour per-week in the garden. I really enjoy talk about garden topic and doing garden. when I face some difficult situation and challenges in my daily life, I took my mini mattock and dig the weeds in our garden and prepare new soils in raise garden beds. These garden and plants have positive in my mental health and overall physical health. I feel connect with the earth. I feel grateful and joyful in nature and garden. I build my secure and safe environment for my families and natural ecosystem. I create a own quote " I am a small seed who grow in fertile soils. my tiny tree grow in the universe. every branches are my skills, knowledge, experiences, and memories that I build overtime. my sweet little fruits are my achievements such as freedom, health, wealth, happy married, good friendships, and our future babies."
When I looked back on my childhood memories, I am grateful for my parents, grandparents, ancestors, siblings, uncles, aunties, cousins, relatives, and Cambodia communities. thank you for being a part of my life and support my dreams. I love my homeland and I am proud to be a Cambodian.
