Sawubona: I see you
My husband is from South Africa and has Zulu ancestry. My in-laws are very proudly South African and love talking about the country and their memories of living there. In particular, they talk about Joburg and Durban, beaches, plains, birds, paradise, Zulu tribal prints, scents, herbs, flora, and fauna… so I get a lot of inspiration from them.
While working on a complete re-design of their garden, I had an avid gardener’s apprentice by my side, asking questions and getting stuck in planting, pruning and clearing back years of untouched, wild growth. My mother-in-law has been both an unexpected apprentice and my muse.
She was unexpected because she had never really taken to gardening in the UK and muse because she is full of memories and stories of gardens back home in South Africa that have inspired their garden's plant choices and design.
It has been fun to demonstrate what I am doing and explain the “why” so that my mother-in-law can maintain and enjoy the garden once our redesign project is complete.
And this got me thinking about a new style of gardening - companion gardening or side-by-side gardening!
The “spirit” of this gardening style is heavily influenced by what I have learned about community from my husband and his parents over the years.
In particular, the Zulu greeting "Sawubona" directly translates to "I see you, you are important to me, and I value you."
So instead of “Hi,” “Hello,” or “Hey,” in parts of South Africa (KZN), people greet each other with “I see you.” I got goosebumps when I first heard this phrase and its meaning. It feels much more meaningful than “Hello.”
And I suppose it is the polar opposite of my preferred greeting: “Hey! How are you?” which gives the impression of polite interest but is not intended to elicit anything more profound than a quick “Fine, thanks!”
When a Zulu person says “Sawubona,” they intend to make the other person visible and accept them as they are, with their virtues, nuances, and flaws.
“Sikhona” honours the belief that “I did not exist until you saw me.” We are who we are in the context of our relationships, and when others, fully present, see us, we indeed come to life.
This forms part of the Zulu concept of UBUNTU: Each of us has value as individuals, and our community of individuals needs all of its parts in healthy working order if it’s going to thrive. The diminishing of one soul diminishes me, diminishes all of us. The strengthening of one soul strengthens me, strengthens all of us.
But how does this relate to gardening?
Well, rather than being hired to just do the work, gardeners are hired to garden alongside the client, offering companionship and teaching the client how to do basic gardening tasks such as pruning, de-weeding, plant care, etc.
The concept of “sawubona” also extends to our relationship with nature.
The feeling I get when I pause and take the time to genuinely see the tree in front of me. Suddenly, it becomes more alive; I see the birds, the colour of the leaves, and how the wind moves through its branches.
I say "Sawubona" to the tree and imagine it whispering "Sikhona" back to me.
Sawubona reminds us to be aware of other people and their needs, experiences, and values. It also reminds us to be mindful of nature, to appreciate it, and even to honour it.
