South Africa: ‘Nubian Queen’ found healing in her urban farm
Meet the urban gardener who overcame depression through farming and now produces organic produce in a Midrand estate. Her garden has an impressive variety of herbs, fruit, vegetables and edible flowers
By Magnificent Mndebele
Food for Mzansi
Mar 8, 2022
Excerpt:
“When I started planting about five years ago, my garden was not this big. Gardening is addictive, especially when you find out that it is your passion,” she tells Food For Mzansi.
Given the size of her yard – featuring a double storey house and a swimming pool – the number of plants, fruit trees, herbs and vegetables, truly is a sight to behold. For a newcomer it is a slightly surreal experience.
“People ask me, ‘Did you grow up planting?’ I am like, ‘I wish you knew how much I hated manual labour.’ I will find someone to do everything that has to do with manual labour, but when I started gardening, I realised that it is therapeutic.”
Although her garden is now quite admirable, the Nubian queen started her farming journey as a a result of a much darker event.
In 2017 her baby brother was involved in a fatal car accident. “I went into depression and my cholesterol was high,” she explains.
“The doctor said, ‘Susan, there is no medication that I can give to help you. You have to come out of this hole. If you do not, you will go to sleep and never wake up. Your blood pressure is on the tip. You can fall and never get up ever again.’”
