Gundula Deutschlander is master gardener at the historic Babylonstoren farm in the Western Cape. She tells Margaret Harris she will take holy basil with her if the herb is not in heaven What does a master gardener do?With years of gardening experience, a master gardener is able to give guidance to other gardeners. I also work creatively, which enables the garden to grow and develop.I had to invent the title because we have a head gardener who deals more with the people and politics of running a public garden, and that was at times confusing for the people around us. I chose the title to encourage other gardeners to master their skills. For example, I'd hope that our man working on irrigation would become master of waterworks.story_article_left1How does your background in fine arts make you a better gardener?In creating a garden, I am composing a lively canvas where I am comfortable to play with colour, form, space, time - both historic and in the future.Similar to painting, I draw references from my personal or our collective memories to make an emotional statement. I also understand the impact we have on our environment and how, on many different levels, our environment has an impact on us either viewing or engaging within it.What are some of the plants you love the most?This is an impossible question, because I'd be swayed by every season and change my mind according to my need for food, shelter from the sun or wishing to hear birdsong.Trees: wild olive - Olea africana - it's so resilient and lives to a great old age. It seems to be a tree that follows me wherever I go, and birds love it.Herbs: basil, in particular tulsi, or holy, basil. I'd take basil with me to heaven if it's not growing there already. Love to eat it, drink a tea of tulsi, watch the bees buzz around it.Succulent: the tree aloe I planted on my 21st birthday and which flowered for the first time 21 years later.Economist and behavioural scientist Professor Paul Dolan says: "Gardeners and florists are the happiest of all the professions ... nearly twice as happy as people in more prestigious and better-paid jobs." Would you agree?Yes. Even though we are generally in the lowest-income bracket, our rewards come from a greater source. There is emotional and spiritual satisfaction to be received from engaging physically and intellectually with the earth.I am constantly aware of working with enormously powerful life forces. I also know if I garden mindfully and lovingly, the seeds that I sow will respond generously. Creating a garden is like being wrapped in a loving embrace.story_article_right2October 9 is South Africa's first garden day. What is the purpose of such a day?Most of the year we plant, water, weed and mulch - work, in other words. Garden Day is the day to reap the rewards of that labour - toss down the spade, invite family and friends around, kick back and appreciate the varied reasons why making a garden is so worthwhile.It's also the start of a movement, intended to bring South Africans together to appreciate and celebrate the rewards of one of life's simplest but most profound pleasures - gardening.How should South Africans respond to the worst drought in decades?Try to water your garden with your grey water. Mulch, as covering your soil helps immensely by preventing rapid evaporation. With improved water retention, the micro-organisms will keep your soil active.What did you want to be when you were a child?I wanted to be a forester after seeing my uncle's beech forest in Germany. The trees were awe-inspiring...