Monday, October 10, 2005
Over-gardening.
Ian T. reports in comments (previous post) being stuck between a party house and overgardeners.
I know about the overgardeners - there are several in my street. It seems to be a competition. They have diosma clipped into shapes like chairs, miniature windmills that whir in the wind and painted concrete sculptures of cute doe-eyed animals on the garden beds, which are all covered in either white pebbles or lurid red/tan woodchips (the colour is fake). Everything is clipped and the lawn is too perfect. It's all dinky and there are no trees. Just features, features, features.
That's suburban bad taste.
Then there's inner urban bad taste, which is possibly worse. Geometric concrete blocks laid out like chequerboards. In between, little tufts of grass. Or river pebbles. Water features. What is it with water features? These gardens end up looking one part japanese, one part tuscan and one part moonscape.
Nobody reads garden design books any more, they just watch garden makeover shows on television.
Where are you, Edna Walling and Ellis Stones?
(Mind you, I'd probably prefer an overgardener as a neighbour to a party house, in which the gardens are usually decorated with empty bourbon and cola cans.)
is it time for a nap yet? i think so
I know about the overgardeners - there are several in my street. It seems to be a competition. They have diosma clipped into shapes like chairs, miniature windmills that whir in the wind and painted concrete sculptures of cute doe-eyed animals on the garden beds, which are all covered in either white pebbles or lurid red/tan woodchips (the colour is fake). Everything is clipped and the lawn is too perfect. It's all dinky and there are no trees. Just features, features, features.
That's suburban bad taste.
Then there's inner urban bad taste, which is possibly worse. Geometric concrete blocks laid out like chequerboards. In between, little tufts of grass. Or river pebbles. Water features. What is it with water features? These gardens end up looking one part japanese, one part tuscan and one part moonscape.
Nobody reads garden design books any more, they just watch garden makeover shows on television.
Where are you, Edna Walling and Ellis Stones?
(Mind you, I'd probably prefer an overgardener as a neighbour to a party house, in which the gardens are usually decorated with empty bourbon and cola cans.)
is it time for a nap yet? i think so
Comments:
my mom is an overgardener of the suburban species. she has thirty- seven frog statuettes and counting...
The overgardeners party a big as well, especially now they have a big outdoor spa they can all get in and bellow with laughter.
They've poisoned way too many of the natives I planted on the border!
I totally agree about those overcultivated prissy gardens and the ones with too much cement. People seem terrified of nature! Honestly, I've even planted natives to attract insects to get flycatchers and robins into the garden.
They've poisoned way too many of the natives I planted on the border!
I totally agree about those overcultivated prissy gardens and the ones with too much cement. People seem terrified of nature! Honestly, I've even planted natives to attract insects to get flycatchers and robins into the garden.
Funny you should say that Ian - my next door neighbours wanted the gum tree - a magnificent white-barked specimen - on my nature strip removed because it was dropping bark, so they they rang the council and told them I wanted it removed.
The council tree guy came out and asked me why I wanted it removed and I said I didn't and he looked at his job book and realised the complaint came from next door. Of course, the tree stayed there.
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The council tree guy came out and asked me why I wanted it removed and I said I didn't and he looked at his job book and realised the complaint came from next door. Of course, the tree stayed there.
# posted by 
: October 14, 2005 3:18 AM
: October 14, 2005 3:18 AM
