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I like
gardens that are mature and
have significance . I like gardens that give a
sense of permanence . Permanence is
something
that seems to be undervalued in modern life. Only a few remnants of
the traditional domestic garden remain
due to the decreasing size of
allotments. The popular narrow garden vision
presented in the media and the frenetic
lifestyle many
people
endure has lead to a concept that any garden
they desire has to be instant and "low
maintenance".
It is
impossible to create a sense of permanence when
you don't intend to stay in a house for long. Today people chose
to move house repeatedly and
never put down roots socially or physically. The
backyard is often seen as another
outdoor room and decorated
accordingly with hard surfaces and minimal
plantings. Water features puddle in corners
and statuary when used
tends to be mass produced from a mould. Perhaps this
is the sort of garden you aspire to when
you have
been mislead into believing that you don't
deserve any better.
The maturity of a garden is
probably the most important aspect to strive
for. Over time planting garden spaces with
appropriate
ornamental plants creates a rich diversity.
Instant gardens always look contrived as they have few,
or no,
surprises. A narrow palette of
colour and species and decorator items may well
be knocked up in a weekend but cannot
be
mistaken for a garden. However, the same space
with at least ten or twenty years of care might
be worthy of the name.
A real garden is a textured,
multidimensional ,aromatic, colourful,
surprising ,relaxing, invigorating place. It is a
place
where
family history has evolved . Documenting
gardens and their social history through
photographs and inventories
produces
evidence that future gardeners need. Our society
needs gardens that will be cherished and that
will outlive us
and
I hope will teach our grand children that the
reward of patience in the garden, as in the
landscape, is of such great
value that
we will not see the wholesale destruction caused
by "development" which is the legacy of recent
decades.
I love to garden and I love the
physical work of creating an interesting and
changing garden. I know my garden is a great
space because children
love it. Dogs love it too.
Children
are the ultimate garden connoisseurs and critics. They "get" gardens and adults can learn a lot
from them.
Children can use the background
of a garden as a scene for their imagination
.They have no trouble finding their way
and will identify and describe
trees, stones ,logs or flowers in the same way
as we look at labels and signs.
A spiders web, a worm , an ant
mound, fungi, a new plant , so much amazing life
can be found at a child's eye view.
Children love to feel gardens
and they like to pick up a hand full of gravel
or a small smooth stone . To touch a slippery
soft worm
in a freshly dug hole. They have no concept of a mistake and garden
making shouldn't be as daunting as a
blank canvas. It is
lamentable that there are children living in
suburban settings who do not have the chance to
have
a garden up close.
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