Gardeners are creative individuals, a fact that society should acknowledge more - a reevaluation of the gardener's role - encounter Emily Adcock
In a bid to challenge the traditional view of horticulturists as mere garden labourers, a passionate advocate for nature is making waves in the gardening world. With the Instagram handle @hortdamn, the speaker aims to shift public perception and appreciate horticulturists as artists of the natural world.
The speaker's inspiration stems from Jack Aldridge, a horticulturist at RHS Garden Wisley, and horticultural heroes Piet Oudolf and Tom Stuart-Smith. These influential figures embody the speaker's vision of horticulturists as creative visionaries who sculpt the landscape with plants, rather than just maintain it.
In their own garden, the speaker prioritizes the needs of wildlife, advocating for the preservation of trees and shrubs that are favored by wildlife. The speaker's favourite planting style is naturalistic, with plant favourites repeated organically through a border.
The speaker's earliest gardening memory is begging their mother to get an allotment when they were seven. Fast forward to today, and the speaker finds inspiration in the long season of interest provided by plants and ornamental grasses, particularly those that keep beds standing through winter for both aesthetic and wildlife purposes.
One solution for gardeners to be more sustainable is to plan the planting in their garden, putting thought into their plant purchases to improve both the aesthetics and sustainability. The speaker values the process of getting to know plants before designing gardens with them, a practice they admire in Oudolf and Stuart-Smith.
The speaker's favourite 'weed' is the common daisy (Bellis perennis), a testament to their appreciation for the beauty found in even the smallest of plants. The speaker finds inspiration in the way Oudolf and Stuart-Smith get to know plants before designing gardens with them.
The speaker believes that wildlife gardening or gardening for biodiversity should not be seen as a specific style of gardening, but as an approach all gardeners should adopt. This sentiment is shared by Jack Aldridge, Piet Oudolf, and Tom Stuart-Smith, who all view horticulturists as artists of the natural world.
Recent reflections on garden aesthetics show a tension between maintaining a neat, well-kept appearance and allowing more natural or wild growth. This suggests some diversity in perception regarding the presence and management of larger plants like trees in small-scale gardens or allotments. Although not specific to allotments, broader environmental campaigns and research on soil and ecological functions since 2005 in Germany indicate increasing societal awareness of ecological benefits of plants and soils, which may have indirectly influenced more positive views on integrating trees to support biodiversity and soil health in gardens.
The speaker hopes that opinions have changed regarding gardening practices over the past 20 years, and they look forward to a future where horticulturists are universally recognised as the artists of the natural world they truly are.
- The speaker is inspired by horticulturists like Jack Aldridge, Piet Oudolf, and Tom Stuart-Smith, who are redefining the role of horticulturists as creative visionaries in the home-and-garden, landscape, and gardening lifestyle fields.
- In their own garden, the speaker prioritizes wildlife needs, favoring planting styles that are naturalistic and wildlife-friendly, such as those that repeat plant favorites organically through a border.
- The speaker values the process of getting to know plants before designing gardens, a practice they admire in influential horticulturists like Piet Oudolf and Tom Stuart-Smith.
- The speaker advocates for a holistic approach to gardening, viewing gardening for biodiversity not as a specific style but as an approach that all gardeners should adopt, similar to the beliefs of Jack Aldridge, Piet Oudolf, and Tom Stuart-Smith.
