Walking past the trade stands of any of the large flower shows this year it’s clear to see that taste, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder and that money doesn’t necessarily buy it. How is it that crazy paving and rock gardens were once so fashionable and yet, now, are design no-nos? Why are gnomes banned from Chelsea and who thought a plastic meerkat skiing would make a great garden ornament? I am fascinated by what appeals to one person can repulse another but I am in no way setting myself up as an arbiter of taste.
Several years ago, I mentioned to a fellow student on a horticulture course I was doing, that my garden was looking like an homage to Barbara Cartland, as I had planted quite a lot of plants with pink flowers. Her reaction, as she visibly recoiled, surprised and amused me in equal measure. Apparently, the colour pink would never be seen in her garden; she didn’t ‘do’ yellow either. I later got to see her garden which was beautiful, tasteful and with no pink or yellow to be seen but I’m sure it could have been equally as lovely with some sunflowers or phlox mingling with the other plants.
What’s wrong with pink?
Gnomes are often derided, seen as the pinnacle of bad taste within a garden. First introduced to Britain in the 1860s from Germany by Sir Charles Isham. He was so enamoured with them he built a rockery in his garden at Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire and filled it with gnomes. I can feel the colour draining from the faces of many a garden designer at the thought of rockeries and gnomes. Since 1990, gnomes have been banned from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, although in 2009, multi-award winning herb grower Jekka McVicar did sneak in her ‘lucky’ gnome, Borage.
I quite like a gnome, his cheeky, cherry little face peering from behind some foliage. I’m less keen on them en masse and even less of a fan when their paint has flaked off and they’ve been repainted using whatever leftover paints were lurking around in the back of the garage. I came home from school once to find repainted gnomes that had developed shocking dress sense, looked a little flushed and one of them appeared to have 2 black eyes. Mum, what were you thinking?
In fact, there is much from the decades of my childhood, the seventies and eighties, that wouldn’t stand the taste test now. Rockeries, conifer gardens, shrubberies and the centrifugal garden with the lawn in the centre and everything else flung out into narrow borders around the edge; it all seems so incredibly dated. Then the nineties and the era of the TV makeover garden brought with it instant gardens, coloured wood stain and the phrase ‘water feature’. One of my own bugbears is the identikit garden assembled entirely from a DIY store or garden centre. There is a street nearby, where there are 3 gardens that all look the same, with their spiky cordylines, large blue ceramic egg-shaped things and metallic planters. For me, personality and individuality are so important in a garden.
Often, it is the scale or number of items that you use in your garden that can tip something from the quirky to the tasteless. I love vintage and recycled bits and pieces. I have 2 zinc baths planted up with herbs and an enamel baking dish full of succulents but I’m well aware that I should limit these items, otherwise ‘rustic chic’ could quite easily become ‘scruffy scrapyard’. For me its plants that are the stars in my garden and everything else should enhance them not detract from them.
One of the biggest puzzles for me is the desire to adorn gardens with a variety of plastic animals. The oversize and podgy blue tit, is possibly the most disturbing creature on display at my local garden centre. There must be a demand for such products though, since a veritable menagerie is on offer.
Piet Oudolf designed garden at Pensthorpe in Norfolk
According to the Horticulture Trades Association, the garden retail market was worth £2.6 billion in 2010. Gardening has become like the fashion industry with the media telling us what plants are in, how we should be using our gardens and companies selling us the latest, must-have products. Plants used in show gardens will spring up in gardens across the country. Garden designers have the power to change our ideas about planting and the whole feel and style of our gardens. In the last decade or so, the Dutch designer, Piet Oudolf, was at the vanguard of introducing us to plants such as echinacea and heleniums and showing us how to use grasses in herbaceous borders, all of which are now considered the height of taste. This more naturalistic planting and meadows and wildflowers are the gardening zeitgeist.
Furzey Gardens, designed by Chris Beardshaw. RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2012 (photo courtesy of picselect)
More traditional plants such as rhododendrons and azaleas have fallen out of favour, so much so, that when garden designer, Chris Beardshaw, used them in his Chelsea show garden this year, he was worried the garden would prove less popular because of his retro style plants. They certainly didn’t stop him winning gold and, much as I love the fluffy, natural style of planting that has proved so popular at Chelsea in recent years, I personally found his garden a refreshing change. So, does that mean that there will be a shift in what is considered tasteful, planting wise? Will we now want to start growing some of the plants popular 30 or 40 years ago? I’m not so sure but I’d love to see a Chelsea designer try to make conifers cool once again.
Personal taste also has the ability to change with time. I’ve noticed in recent years that I’m seeing plants that I have disliked ever since I can remember in a new light. Irises, for instance, really never did it for me at all but last year I bought the first ones for the garden with plans for more purchases. Sometimes it’s about widening your plant knowledge. I don’t like big, blousy pelargoniums but I’ve discovered the more delicately flowered scented leaf varieties, and the exquisite species, both of which I love.
So, ultimately, we all have our own likes and dislikes, what we consider tasteful, that’s what makes life interesting, after all. If every garden you ever visited looked like a Tom Stuart Smith creation you’d soon get bored and would crave something else and this means accepting all manner of personal tastes . . . well, maybe not the plastic skiing meerkat.
wellywoman 
I agree, a garden should be about personal taste, taking very strong account of conditions – climate, soil, aspect etc. the garden is our place to enjoy nature, especially for those who live in towns and cities, a haven of peace and tranquility or for bright clashing colours. Fashion can introduce us to something that will become our favourite for ever or something that will prove a passing fad. Be yourself, create what you like and a good designer will spend masses of time talking to their client about their likes, dislikes, needs and wants before commencing a project. Sometimes I feel more like a psychologist than a garden designer! Christina
How would you react if someone wanted a gnome filled grotto? 😉
Thank goodness we are all different, otherwise gardens would all be the same. Visiting gardens with lots of objects, animals, gnomes etc usually make me laugh but I wouldn’t want to live with them. When I was designing the garden here, all the books said you should only be able to see one ornament or statue at a time, otherwise the brain gets confused and doesn’t know what to look at! My carvings are my focal points, but my daughter says that they are just up market garden gnomes!! Fashion comes and goes in styles of gardening and the plants we put in them, the heleniums that are all the rage now, I remember from my parents gardens in the 50s and 60s so I consider them very old fashioned. I like Piet Oudolfs style of planting, but what is there to look at in the winter, here in the warm, wet SW of the country , it would be a mushy mess, so we need the evergreens, like rhododendrons behind to form interest in the winter and spring before the perennials get going. I think everyone just has to find their own style of gardening and do their own thing, blow the fashion gurus!!
Pauline, I so agree about the naturalistic planting not working so well in the west. We have the same problem here in Wales. The idea of seed heads and grasses glistening with frost is a nice one but I just seem to end up with a soggy mess.
I agree with you! One must put in the garden what makes them happy. I am a very novice gardener and bound to make mistakes in my little plot, but ultimately if i like it, make me happy and the plants happy, why not.
Suzy, Gardens are the perfect place to express yourself. I much prefer gardens where I can see the personality of the gardener even if I don’t share their taste than a space created purely from the DIY centre with no expression of personality whatsoever.
Great article! Gardens are just as much subject to fashion as music, fashion, architecture etc.
Having grown up in the 1970’s and 1980’s (in Australia), I loathe rock gardens, conifers and shrubberies. As a kid, our garden at home had all of these, as did our neighbours!
However the recent trend for gravel gardens planted out with yuccas and mondo grass doesn’t do much for me either. I’m also undecided as to whether or not I like the Piet Oudolf inspired grass planting and ‘New Wave Planting’ style. Coming from someone raised in Australia, I can’t help but think a lot of the ornamental grasses look particularly weedy and messy.
I do admit to not liking yellow in my own garden, except for when it comes to daffodils. And I’ll also admit I wouldn’t plant petunias or orange and yellow marigolds (both of which featured in my parent’s 70’s and 80’s garden).
However I’ll never say never. I have recently just planted over 100 gladiolas in shades of pink, purple and dark red. I’ve also got a heap of dahlia tubers ready to go in soon. 10 years ago I would never have planted gladdies or dahlias in my garden – maybe I’m getting grandma taste at the age of 37? My husband certainly thinks so and was most amused by my gladdie planting marathon a few weekends ago.
PS. I also have a confession. I’m the reader who found your website by way of the google search ‘Monty Don’s Blue shirts’. I haven’t stopped laughing since reading your blog entry on 25 July “The Mind Boggles”. I’ve been after some simple long sleeved & hard wearing shirts for wear in the garden with a collar and long sleeves to stop me from getting burned when out in the garden on sunny days. Being a Monty fan, I thought I’d google to see if I could find some comfy Monty style shirts online for wear out in the garden and instead came across your great blog. However I’d like to make it clear that I am NOT the person who entered ‘alan titchmarsh crotch’!!
Danielle, How brilliant. Oh this did make me chuckle. I’m sorry I couldn’t help with your search for a Monty Don shirt. I really think he should get his own clothing range. To be honest I could do with something similar to what you need. I’m always worried I’ll get burnt when I’m gardening.
I know exactly what you mean. I’m 36 and have never liked gladioli until this weekend when I visited a flower farm. I’m now planning a whole patch of them on my plot next year. Oh dear, what’s happening to me?
I do think so much of what we like and dislike stems from our childhood. My parent’s garden still does feature the centrifugal lawn and borders, conifers, rockery and yes, gnomes en masse. *shudders* It’s the complete antithesis to my ideas of a garden but each to their own. Who knows if I’ve started to like gladioli may be it won’t be long before I’m thinking about a rockery myself?
I love the story behind how you found my blog but I really hope whoever was searching for ‘alan titchmarsh crotch’ doesn’t introduce themselves.
I’ve never been a follower of fashion in any sense, I have my own taste and if I like something then it will do for me. I think a garden has to please the owner, afterall, it’s them who will be looking at it. I have to admit to having a few stone animals in my garden but draw the line at a plastic skiing meerkat.
I think there is quite a lot of snobbery at some levels of gardening. I’d rather see a garden full of nik-naks that express someone’s personality rather than a bland design that says nothing about the owner.
no garden gnomes, but a cast hippo, a naive metal kingfisher, Uncle Fred swimming in the pond, and 3 small sculptures from my sister. Nothing plastic, thank you.
Loving the sound of your garden additions. Plastic doesn’t seem to fit well in a garden. Natural products do work much better.
Vive la difference is my motto but I do wish heartily that my next door neighbour did not have one of those “oversize and podgy blue tits” you mention on display in a prominent place in their front garden. The urge to do it serious damage is strong!
I would have loved to be in the room with the buyers from garden centres when they were pitched the blue tits, so I could get some understanding as to why. But then what do I know, there clearly is a market for them.
This is a really interesting post, I grew up in a middle class estate with a typical garden plot, my parents planted connifers and I have never liked them (partly because I had to dig one of the monsters up once.)
My parents were never into gardening but my grandparents had an inspiring garden. I think thats why at the age of 22 i’m completely in love with the english look. I grew up with the modern nineties silver planter and decking style and its just not for me! We are moving to our first house soon and I’ve set up my blog with the intention of making a very bare plot into something brilliant. Thankyou for being a great source of inspiration!
Hi Stevie, Thank you for your really kind comments *blushes*. I love the English look too. I think it works well because it feels like it fits. I don’t think it matters so much in an urban setting but in rural areas silver planters, and tropical looking plants just seem to stand out to much. Good luck with the house move and tackling your new garden. The most important thing is to enjoy it and do want you want to make the space feel like an expression of yourself.
Trying to keep my garden plastic free…that definitely includes gnomes and oversized birds. None of that horrible moulded cement type stuff either.
Hi Bridget, Yes moulded cement too isn’t on my list of must haves.
A gnome has appeared at the Old Forge and I really can’t decide what to make of it. It is sort of half hidden but not so much that occasionally, I catch it out of the corner of my eye and jump out of my skin. It is a BIG gnome and looks like someone crouching in the long grass. Watching me. The owners think it fun, I think. But I’m afraid it just makes me shake my head. Sadly. D
The BIG gnome sounds quite scary. Gnomes really should be little, then they can look cheeky and jovial. BIG ones, well I’m not surprised you jump.
I don’t like gnomes, but do have a fox hidden away on the plot. In view on the amount of ‘tat’ that’s now sold in garden centres I suppose that we can’t too surprised at what people have in their gardens, especially when they’re influenced by so-called garden ‘fashion’!
As your post title says it all comes down to a question of taste.
Thanks for another interesting ‘makes me smile’ post, and to others for their terrific comments. xx
Thanks Flighty, glad you liked it, I’ve loved everyone’s comments too.
What a fabulous post, you put so many of my own thoughts and feelings into words perfectly. And as you noted on my own blog, questions of taste, what to do with stiff and blousy hydrangeas, not to mention a selection of rhododendrons and azaleas, are very much at the forefront of my mind at present. I am beginning to think I want to find a way to meld my tendency to prefer the wild and woolly pernennial-based look with the shrub borders and cliche coastal garden plants I have inherited, which will be a challenging adventure, but at least I have reached the point where I am prepared to entertain the possibility of keeping plants that once I would have chucked on the compost without a second thought! And I speak as someone who has made the journey from “no pink, no yellow” to “why not a riot of colour, magenta and yellow look great together”…
Can’t see me buying garden ornaments though, it would mean less money for plants. Creating something from the slate in that dreadful circle garden, on the other hand, has definite appeal!
Thanks Janet, It was fun to write. I’m learning that sometimes it’s not the plants fault they seem old fashioned but how they’ve been used. Sometimes unfashionable plants are necessary because they cope well with the local conditions. Maybe that will be the case with some of your plants. I’m sure you’ll have the garden looking stunning and it’ll be so much fun experimenting with plants and combinations.
What a wonderful post! and the comments terrific as well– 🙂
Stacey
Thanks Stacey, It was fun to write, I’m glad everyone’s enjoyed reading it.
Hi Welly, I’m catching up with your posts after a couple of weeks of computer abstinence. Lovely to see you’re now writing for Garlic and Sapphire (my other ‘must read’ blog) – I didn’t realise that you’re a freelance writer, that explains the quality of your posts! Love this one and the phrase ‘centrifugal garden’ – my parents have one of those, a large garden lawn with a few half-moon shrub beds dotted around the edges, adorned with bedding plants in the summer (I hate bedding plants), although my sister managed to sneak in some cosmos and crocosmia. I look out of the kitchen window and imagine how I would redesign it, offering a few suggestions but they remain resolute in keeping it how it is. (Thankfully, no gnomes.) Personally, I love a bit of discreet vintage tat, old gardening tools, butler sinks, etc but have to keep “my” communal garden tidy-ish for the other residents here who overlook it. (Hmmm, might have to do a post on this!) Thanks for the chuckle! Caro xx
Caro, Thanks for all the comments. Feel like a bit of computer abstinence myself but it’ll have to wiat for a while yet. 😦 Glad to see you read Garlic and Sapphire too. Only really started the freelance stuff in the last year but I’m really loving it. I know what you mean, every time I’m at my parents I look out on the garden and wonder what I’d do with it. Herbaceous perennials are slowly creeping in when I take up spare plants. You should definitely do the post, I would love to read it. WW X
I remember putting a green frog wearing a crown, with lips puckered up in a kiss, in my mum’s shopping trolley when I was younger (17-18ish) and she told me how a man had come up to her and said with all seriousness “If my wife put that in our trolley I’d divorce her!”. I still have the frog in my garden somewhere, but I was always amazed how strong a feeling a plastic frog could elicit from a complete stranger.
I do have a few other ornaments, three pot penguins for an area I call the “Polar Bear Enclosure” and plastic mole (that looks like it’s half in and out of the ground) purchased when the lawn was almost completely soil due to a severe mole problem, I told my OH (mole catcher general) that the mole was above ground and wanted a truce… when he spotted it, he cheered up no end. It is now relegated to the very back of a border until the next time we have mole issues.
So I am probably classed in the “no taste” bracket, but they make me smile. I don’t think I’d go as far as the mutant blue tit or the skiing meerkat though.
Hi Helen, The idea of the mole did make me smile. A garden should be about it being your own space and what you like it’s not important what others think 🙂