Saira Khan has given fans several looks inside her never-ending garden during the coronavirus pandemic, but on Tuesday she revealed an area with a very special meaning behind it. The Loose Women star took to Instagram to share a tour of her flower beds at the side, complete with fully bloomed flowers, and a caption alongside a photo of alliums explaining exactly why her outdoor space is so special to her.
SEE: Inside Saira Khan's stunning family home
WATCH: Saira Khan gives tour inside garden
"Lockdown has given me time to appreciate my garden," she wrote. "And, as I walked around it this morning, it took me back to my childhood, where I grew up in a terraced house with a tiny patch of green in the backyard on which my mum grew her herbs, coriander, mint, dill, spinach, runner beans and tomatoes.
"We didn't have much, so food was prioritised over flowers. I was always in awe of the fact she grew her own food – it was magical to watch mum plant seeds and nurture them, to watch shoots emerging from the soil, then grow and be fragrant for my mum to use in her curries. I will never forget that joy of seeing my first tomato on the vine, turning from green to red and the smell of the vine."
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Saira has shared several workouts from her garden during the coronavirus pandemic
Her parents were raised at one with nature, so to speak, and it is their appreciation that Saira now practises herself. "My parents, immigrants from the foothills of the Himalayas, grew up in nature," she added. "Surrounded by trees abundant with figs, apricots, mulberries, apples, plums, walnuts, almonds and so much more. Learning to live in harmony with nature and the environment was an intuition for them, part of their DNA-skills they brought over to this country and helped them to keep that connection with their roots.
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"Watching my parents enjoy that tiny patch of a garden made me feel very grateful for what I have today. Their love of nature inspired me. I have sent my mum this morning a photo of these alliums in their beautiful full glory – I know they will make her smile and in her mind take her back to memories of her childhood where she played in valleys of flowers and fruit trees."
Saira now shares her home in Oxford with her husband Steve and their two children, Zach and Amara.
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