Words of Wisdom

Nostalgia | October 15, 2026

By Lachy Halliday

Jenny was born in Croydon in 1939; although now taken over by urban sprawl, when Jenny was young Croydon was considered countryside. She went to school nearby before moving into the city for work. She met her husband Malcolm working as a secretary at an insurance firm and settled down with him in Hawthorn. Whilst living in Hawthorn she developed a gardening bug that has followed her since. Now living in Bermagui, gardening is part of her everyday routine.

These are her words of wisdom:

If life has taught you one lesson, what would it be?

Making sure that I get outside in the garden every day is one of the things that helps keep me young.

One of my passions along with my art is my gardening; it’s something that every day brings me a little bit of joy. It gets me outside and makes me move my body. A lot of younger people that I speak to are surprised that I garden every day, they tell me I should relax; especially my sons. To me, being out in my garden and tending to my plants, is relaxing. I have always loved being out in nature and connecting with the earth, being able to watch the things that I plant, grow and flower every year gives me a lot of pride. I think that it is important that, as you get older, you keep doing what makes you happy and keeps you moving.

What are your favourite pieces in the garden?

I’ve always loved the native plants; I think it’s important when doing the garden that you keep it tied to the land it’s on, and because they’re meant to be here, it’s a lot easier to maintain them. I like to mix in non-natives as well: lavender, roses, geraniums- ones that give off nice smells and attract the bees.

What do you want the reader to take away from your words of wisdom?

Find something you enjoy doing that gets you outside.