Read on Twitter
I really love this article that a lot of people are getting pointlessly up in arms about
Of course gardening is political: aethetics and arts always are. They're impacted by how we view the world, and tastes we've acquired/been conditioned with https://twitter.com/Botanygeek/status/1338047634771238914
Of course gardening is political: aethetics and arts always are. They're impacted by how we view the world, and tastes we've acquired/been conditioned with https://twitter.com/Botanygeek/status/1338047634771238914
It's no secret that I HATE the prevailing North American landscape aesthetic of tracts of lawn plus evergreen shrubs in mulch around the house
Lawns are a holdover from European estates where landowners could say "look I have enough money to maintain this useless, clipped grass"
Lawns are a holdover from European estates where landowners could say "look I have enough money to maintain this useless, clipped grass"
They don't make sense in most if not all of North America's climate. They offer VERY little by way of habitat or food source to local wildlife. Instead, they require maintenance and resources
Yet they're the landscaping default
Yet they're the landscaping default
In fact, lawns are politicized to the point that in some places, if you DON'T maintain that default landscaping aesthetic, and choose a food forest or a meadow or a rock garden instead, you can be penalized by your town or HOA
I think a lot about gardening and the choices I make with the land I look after
Because even though I hate large lawns, I'm still drawn to the European (and particularly British) garden styles we've all been taught are the standard of beauty
Because even though I hate large lawns, I'm still drawn to the European (and particularly British) garden styles we've all been taught are the standard of beauty
The problem is, THEY DON'T REALLY WORK HERE
And saying "I'm not going to force imported plants or imported aesthetics onto this land unnecessarily" *is* political
And saying "I'm not going to force imported plants or imported aesthetics onto this land unnecessarily" *is* political
And look, I'm not saying you can't grow European vegetables here, or put in some rose bushes if you love them, but think about your overall plant selections
Does your garden offer food and habitat to the creatures who lived here before you did?
Does your garden offer food and habitat to the creatures who lived here before you did?
Is it easy to maintain by virtue of having a foundation of plants that are indigenous to, and thrive in your environment?
Gardening with those things in mind makes the whole pursuit simpler and more enjoyable, because you're not fighting with the land
Gardening with those things in mind makes the whole pursuit simpler and more enjoyable, because you're not fighting with the land
Letting the land itself guide your gardening aesthetics, instead of an arbitrary cultural standard, is a lovely thing
