Manicured Perfection?

Last week we decided to take advantage of this quite extraordinary hot spell to visit a near by garden. The Mormon church near Chorley is surrounded by some immaculately manicured grounds.  It is a quite splendid building which visitors can enjoy from the outside, although the gardens are open for the public to wander around. The Church of Latter Day Saints  took root in Preston, Lancashire, when the first Mormon missionaries arrived in 1837 but the temple, as it is properly called, was built only in 1994 and finished four years later.

I must declare to being a committed atheist, however, like most people my wonder at nature knows few bounds. Mankind is quite capable of upsetting and despoiling nature but can equally fashion some quite marvellous achievements. Gardens and great architecture can be complementary. The Mormon Temple might be considered a perfect example or it might not.

I can explain this apparently paradoxical view by reference to our own garden. While the Temple is manicured to within an inch of perfection, we have been happy to let our outdoor space be shared with and part shaped by nature. I ardently believe that both garden styles have merit. It is inherently subjective which style any one gardener might enjoy most.

I confess to really enjoying the skill and artistic merit of the Temple grounds. The architecture sits comfortably into the surrounding grounds. The time and effort put into this outdoor space seems channelled, primarily, into making something that is "perfect".

 

However, there is also something that is a little disquieting about such a desire to control nature. As an amateur gardener I am in awe of the talent used to create and to maintain so precisely these gardens. I assume the purpose is to create a beautiful setting as an expression of religious worship. There can be little doubt that they have made an excellent job of it.

At the same time I must confess to having a wry smile when I spotted this little character about to make the groundsman's job that little bit more of a challenge.
Let us hope there is space for all of us to enjoy our outdoor spaces.

If you are in the vicinity the Temple gardens are well worth a detour, as they are kindly open to the public free of charge. The clean lines of the architecture are a wonderful match to the clean lies of the gardens. The largely symmetrical design is in total keeping with the ambiance and may be even more spectacular from the air. 

Naturally, there is plenty of on site parking, but sadly no ice cream vendor! So whether you are like the golfer who covets the man made perfection of Augusta National or the golf aficionado who who rather battle with nature over some wild Scottish links land I am sure you will be able to enjoy your visit.

Weather v Climate

The recent spell of hot weather has been quite a challenge for the nation's gardeners. Here in the north west we have been warned to expect a hosepipe ban at the start of next month. Given that we are in the wettest part of England with the Pennines receiving huge amounts of rainfall each year (often in excess of 2000 mm pa) it seems rather strange that we are one of the first regions (Northern Ireland apart) to have such restrictions on domestic usage.  

I can only assume that there is very serious mismanagement of this vital resource by the water company responsible for our supply. It is quite clear that the infrastructure is in need of proper maintenance. The capture and storage of the autumn, winter and spring rainfall must be urgently reviewed. Why do we have less reservoirs then we did 25 years ago when demand has increased? The profits extracted from the over charged consumers must be investigated and the money used for vital reinvestment in the infrastructure.

Mili by the lower pond

However, in the meantime we must still be sensible. Take a leaf out of Mili's book, keep an eye on your pond water levels. Top up in regular but small amounts, thus avoiding the need for a hosepipe. Brown water might be available (if not contaminated with soapy chemicals). It is important to remember that the wildlife is dependent on your pond. Lawns are hardy and will survive prolonged periods of no rain but your baskets and pots will not. Newly planted specimens will need water for the first few weeks but well established plants particularly larger shrubs and small trees are a much lower priority. 

Mili conserves her energy

It is quite ironic that we might have designed our garden spaces to cope with the increased rainfall that has been the trend over the past decade. Putting the right plant for the right place, (as advocated by Beth Chatto, undoubtedly one of the most influential British garden writers of the last half-century) is now accepted wisdom. 

However, when a semi drought arrives the garden press is full of articles about the benefits of Mediterranean planting schemes! My top tip is definitely, prepare for weather of all types but make long term plans based on climate. Let's hope the water companies are listening as well.

My Gardening Philosophy (or why I enjoy gardening part 2)

It is now a well acknowledged fact that people like to be outside. For me this might be on the golf course or more usually in the garden. This is, of course, related to a connection with the land (or if you prefer, connecting with nature) but for me it is more simple, I get pleasure from just being outside. Being indoors can feel restrictive and irrespective of the weather, I do like to be outdoors. Getting a breath of fresh air is invigorating. Doing the gardening when you are wrapped up against the cold or protected by your second best waterproofs or even gardening in the nice sunshine of a balmy summers day is just wonderful.

According to Simon Worrall in a recent National Geographic article (February 2017) neuroscientists, especially in the U.K. and U.S., are starting to look at how people’s brains respond to different environments. What they’re seeing is that if their volunteers are walking through a city or noisy area, their brains are doing different things than if they are walking in a park [or in your garden]. The frontal lobe, the part of our brain that’s hyper-engaged in modern life, deactivates a little when you are outside. Alpha waves, which indicate a calm but alert state, grow stronger. Buddhist monks, meditators, are also great at engaging alpha waves.

Worrall continues "The Romantic poets emerged during the dawn of industrialization. They saw tremendous benefits to being in places that weren’t crowded or dirty, that were more pastoral, like the Alps. The alpine tour took off in the late 18th century to early 19th century. What was unique about it was that it wasn’t about finding peace in God or finding religion. It was about this more immediate connection to nature and how that spurred our spiritual imaginations, how being in more rural, natural environments made us whole as people."

Being outside is good reason itself for taking up gardening, it gets me out and if we let the weather put us off, to quote a greater thinker than me,

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather". John Ruskin

I am sure this is why I enjoy all the seasons and why climate and weather features so regularly on this blog. Getting fresh air is a good reason to get outside even if the jobs are nearly all complete and the weather a little inclement.  One final quote from an esteemed ex colleague and keen gardener "there is nothing better than a cup of tea outside" Adam P.

Go outside and get some fresh air
good advice for us all

Hebe Midnight Sun

I know this plant of the month has been mentioned before but it is a gem that just keeps on giving. Take a close look at the pictures and you will notice how the purple flowers are now bi coloured with a vibrant white. How appropriate that it is on the black and white terrace as the plant is simultaneously both. Just marvelous!

My Gardening Philosophy (reasons I enjoy gardening part 1)

Most of us garden on a routine basis because it is necessary to keep on top of the jobs and in truth it can be a bit of a chore when time is precious. However, the reason we started in the first instance and why we continue in the long term is far more complex. There is a lot of emphasis at the moment put on the mental well-being "of getting your hands dirty in the soil" while other gardeners are seriously practical and are keen to maximize productivity from their plots. Then there are the advocates of the arts and crafts, who want to create their own little piece of nirvana outside their back door. In fact the reasons that we garden are really quite complicated and vary so much from one individual to the next.

I have been intrigued by the question why do certain people take to gardening and others do not. I think we all know the chap who would seem to tick all the boxes for the likely gardener only to be surprised find he is content with a patch of artificial grass, deck chairs and a BBQ around the back of his house. Similarly, some gardeners are the most unlikely of people yet others seem to have been born with a trowel in their hand. I have occasionally asked myself why do I like to garden, especially when time is in short supply and I had a career and job to hold down (not such a problem now I have retired).

In the next few weeks I will speculate on the motivation behind my desire to be out in the garden. I suspect any rank order of reasons would be pointless and likely to change on a month by month basis. However, the prime driving force which compels me to get outside and into the garden is quite simply just to have fun. My wife would say it is the fact that I have never grown up and I admit I cannot resist the urge to go out and "play". I guess it is epitomized by my pot of sage which has been nurtured and tended for years. Nothing unusual about that you might think but when I say it has never been harvested for cooking just why do I bother keeping it going? Answer just because I can and it's fun. The same can be said for hard landscaping  (playing with grown up Lego) or tending the ponds (playing in the water) even clearing the snow of the conifers (an excuse to go out and play). Essentially gardening is FUN and we can all enjoy the most basic of pleasures!

Someone else also finds it fun...... Hecate

More Reflections

I just could not resist sharing another lovely reflection. This time it is in the lower pond, by the patio and is the first water lily of the year to open out. The tumbling water can be seen in the background but it is worth remembering that water lilies do not really like disturbed water conditions. As you can see the lily in this pond is far enough away from the stream of falling water and the reflection would not be as clear if the water was rippled.

However, for those people who have larger ponds with filtration systems it is apparently perfectly fine for the lilies to have moving water so long as it is not "disturbed" with excessive surface motion or splashing.

Learning From Hecate and Mili

 Summer in the garden means plenty of jobs to be getting along with and naturally the two cats want to be involved; it is their space after all!  Although their interest seems to wane when their human is too busy to fuss and play, in this lovely hot weather the sensible gardener does things at an even and steady pace, so a little more time for Hecate and Mili.

One of the best pieces of advice I have ever been given is that to enjoy your gardening take it at a pace which is always tolerable, in fact the ex colleague that passed on this pearl of wisdom said that if you break into a sweat you are not doing it right. I am sure the two felines would endorse those sentiments.

Above Hecate can be seen in an unusually purposeful stride checking on what progress is being made, below Mili catches me during one of those all important rest periods and snuggles up for a nap. (But then who could deny a furball when they put on their irresistible head: Mili again lowest photo)

Clearly therefore the top tip is try to pace yourself when gardening. You will certainly
enjoy the outdoors all the more for taking a little time to smell the roses.

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."
Ralph Waldo Emerson- American essayist and philosopher