A good friend of mine sent me an article from 'De Volkskrant' last Friday, about The British garden snob. I found it quite amusing. The article is about William Hanson's view on British gardens. The name was unfamiliar to me, but apparently he is the UK's leading expert on etiquette.
According to the article a British garden snob is someone who's garden looks non formal, as natural as possible, with rolling lawns cascading into flowerbeds or lakes. Think: organised chaos. Some flowers are not acceptable, like chrysanthemums, asters, gladioli and begonias. Garden gnomes and ponds are not allowed, but a lake is fine.
An interesting thing about articles like this is that you are inclined to compare your own garden to the characteristics mentioned. Although I am not English but Dutch and have an allotment garden, which is probably considered as terribly bourgeois, I think I may be a bit of a garden snob myself. If only for the natural chaos in my garden, the fact that my garden has it's own stream (yes it has!!!), I have a summerhouse (it's a shed, but only you know that), a lawn which is perfect for playing croquet (perhaps a tiny bit too small) and a huge selection of classy teacups for my stylish tea parties in the
garden ;-).
What I would like to know is: do you consider yourself to be a garden snob? For those of you who can't read Dutch, I found a similar article in English.
By the way, if you would like to know how to hold your teacup, or stir correctly, please have a look at this video. It may come in handy.....:-)
Have a fun week!
Love,
Madelief x
* Dear Ina, Thank you once again for the lovely vintage wicker basket. xox
Oh my, so lovely, colourful pictures You have :)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI don't have a proper English garden.. as I live in the wilds of Oregon, the western USA. Mine is a wild farm garden with many pots of this and that - things that strike my fancy at the garden shop or something sentimental from my past, like my grandmother's "Cocks Comb". But I have never been a rule-follower. :-) And I love YOUR garden just as it is. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenOMG Madelief, I fall in love with your garden more and more! Garden snob, I'm not sure, but as yet I've no gnomes! ;) xxx
BeantwoordenVerwijderenGorgeous!! How beautiful your garden is, the colours are stunning
BeantwoordenVerwijderenBlessings
Jacqui
Well I'm not sure about being a garden snob, I have no gnomes but I do have the odd stone bunny! :)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenBeautiful photos as always Madelief!
V x
Well I have to confess even though I have a teeny tiny garden, I am a garden snob! I also only have pink, purple, blue and white flowers in the garden although I see some daisies are yellow yikes! I love the informal chaos of a cottage garden which unfortunately if I want to have anywhere to sit, I need to keep to the sides of the garden. Alas I don't have a stream...in my next life....
BeantwoordenVerwijderenVolgens mij val ik niet onder deze categorie. Ik heb weliswaar geen tuinkabouters, maar ook geen hangmatje. En een georganiseerde chaos is het hier in de tuin ook al niet. Grappig artikel ;-)!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenVoor de tuin vind ik het wel lekker dat het even een stuk minder warm wordt. Wij kunnen met die hitte naar binnen, maar die planten hadden soms bar weinig keus. Gelukkig hebben ze het allemaal goed doorstaan :-)!
Een fijne week, Madelief! Veel liefs, Ingrid
I don't think I qualify as a garden snob, but I don't have handing baskets, so maybe I'm ok :))))) I consider mine a junk garden, as I love to have a rickety chair as supports for a couple of plants and old ladders in it. I think the author would shutter to see the old outdoor loo I use as a tool shed!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenYour garden is an amazing creation dear Madelief. A feast for my eyes-and soul!
Your tea in the garden in your previous post was wonderful!
sending hugs...
Wat is je tuin mooi!!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenZoveel kleur en prachtige bloemen.
Wat etiquette :)
Een mooie week gewenst?
Liefs,Annette
No gnomes here, but I do have a pond not a lake!!! - love the image of the pink rose with its three buds. Happy days Madelief.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAn interesting read Madelief. I guess I may well be a "gardening" snob, as I dislike certain plants in my garden and don't really like gnomes and such. I DO like old sheds though and have a very scruffy pond in our garden which I love. Gosh I am so envious of you having a stream in your garden though. x aka dutchirene on Instagram
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThis is most interesting! I have never heard of the term 'garden snob' but I have long realised that two kinds of gardens do exist. A natural one and a manufactured one where bedding plants are changed each season and all colours matched, no strays allowed. I prefer nature. But probably do not fit in to any stereotype. Every now and then, in a natural garden, you may just find that a gnome visits. What can you do? I love the way your garden has a wild element, and the colours range the full spectrum yet are harmonious. Nature at it's best. And your shed is so great! x
BeantwoordenVerwijderenGood morning dearest Madelief! THIS IS A FUN POST!!!!!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenOK, well, I guess I am a bit of a garden snob too.
I can only describe what we experience every summer HERE. We love a clipped and tidy garden, whether it's formal or informal. My only snobbery is that I wish people would WEED and when they mow their lawns, to not leave the clippings on the sidewalks! I just love a tidy space, be it English style of formal! Otherwise, I so love a creative garden. A neighbor down the street uses very shabby vintage items in his yard from old mannequins, rusty cans and metal furniture but he arranges it all so beautifully in the CLEANEST and best kept, weed free garden. Now he has my vote!
Like always, your vignettes are an inspiration. I only have evergreens in my garden with potted flowers, but next year, I am planting blue butterfly delphiniums again. I took a small sprig from the neighbor for photo purposes, and decided I NEED MY OWN!
Enjoy this day; it is raining now but what a neon green I see outside as the rain falls....our plants love water from heaven.
I guess I am an accidental garden snob. We have the rolling lawn not quite tumbling into a rather large water feature, plenty of chaos, a couple of mums, no Glads, no begonia. Now add chaos. Lot of weeds. We dream of English cottage gardens here, but more wisely we should concentrate more on xero scraping, originating here in Colorado (Denver) during a lengthy drought. The idea is to use native plants that are drought resistant. Boring. Your garden is anything but boring, snobbish or not.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenWow.....such beautiful pictures of your flowers today!! I know there is a lot of garden snobbery, but I just like what I like regardless, and go with my own tastes and preferences......and I know I like (love) your garden, Madelief!!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenHappy new week.
Helen xox
Madelief, I smiled all the way through this very amusing post, nodding a little as I recognized that I might have the makings of being a garden snob. Without even having a garden, mind you.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI truly do not care for begonias!
I very much do care for each of your beautiful photographs from your own garden. It's quite wonderful how the sparkof the yellow flowers (not sure of their name...) enlivens every mixture of other flowers.
The tea video was fun to see as well, even if the chap did not address when to add the milk to the cup. xo
Oh Madelief …. I think that i am a garden snob ….. well, part way to being one !!!!!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenFirst of all I'm English ….. I am not very keen on chrysanthemums,begonias, asters, gladioli or garden gnomes but, i don't have enough land for a lake and we have a pond, so I've failed there !!!!! haha
Your flowers are beautiful and your garden looks a picture …. I love your bicycle in amongst the flowers !!
……. your roses are so beautiful. XXXX
I would aspire to being a garden snob but the truth is if it gets watered that is a bonus! love your beautiful flowers your garden looks gorgeous it must be lovely to have afternoon tea there. Sally :)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenSuch a gorgeous and colourful summer feeling! You always show beautiful flowers and captures from your garden. A pleasure to visit!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenJannicke
Ik heb heel erg erg genoten, Madelief!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenZo mooi!
Liefs, Gerry
I admire any garden. It's nature. How can we be snobby on nature?
BeantwoordenVerwijderenPrachtige bloemen! Ik vind het mos tussen die tegeltjes ook zo mooi staan. Liefs Pascale
BeantwoordenVerwijderenWat een kleuren explosie vandaag lieve madelief heerlijk!!...een echte of eigenlijk de zoveelste geniet post!!...fijne week liefs Ria...x!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI think I could be a garden snob except for the rolling lawn which, sadly, I don't have. Super images, as always :)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenHa ha wat een leuk verhaaltje is dat artikel uit de Volkskrant. Zoiets is toch te leuk om te lezen. Ik heb zelf een tuintje ter grootte van een postzegel, en ik denk dat ik toch wel een beetje in die categorie van Garden Snob pas... Hoewel geen meer in de tuin, toch wel een waterpartij in de vorm van een handgemaakt betonnen vogelbad. Allerlei bloeiende planten door elkaar duidt op georganiseerde chaos (de fuchsia staat in een pot, dus kan worden weggezet). Geen gazon, maar ook geen geasfalteerde oprit... ons pad in de tuin is voorzien van tegels... kan net begreep ik...
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAfijn, we hebben gewoon een lekker klein tuintje waarin het vooral gaat om genieten...
Fijne dag,
Liefs,
Mirjam
hello
BeantwoordenVerwijderenje suis toujours épatée par les couleurs toniques des fleurs du jardin
tout cela pétille de joie
toute ma tendresse
Wat is het weer genieten bij jou! en jaah die mand is werkelijk een plaatje!!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenfijne dag
Yolanda
Een hele fijne zomer , lekker uitrusten en genieten! Wat een genietplaatjes weer...
BeantwoordenVerwijderenLieve groet, Renny
People who are 'snobs' are legends in their own minds! *wink-wink* Of course if you have as many pretty flowers as you do, dear Madelief, you certainly can claim a bit of snobbishness, just for fun, of course! I think that a garden should be simply an expression of pure joy and yours is just that - full of joy and happiness! xo Karen
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI would love to be a garden snob if my garden looked like your garden. We have a fairly nice garden, but the high heat this summer has really made it look not so good. How wonderful to having moving water nearby.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenDearest Madelief,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThat was a very interesting post and sure, I don't qualify for an English garden as such. Your garden is such a colorful dream and I like it when things are not all like magazine material; our garden at least is NOT!
Hugs,
Mariette
Oh Madelief.... No snob here! Our prettiest spot this year is the trash pile! All the spent zinnias, Queen Anne's lace,sunflowers, cucumbers, and tomatoes from 2014 decided to reseed themselves and fill this spot with beauty! I can't tell you how much joy we have had with this little garden gift this year. I had photos on my blog in June, but the size has doubled since then! Beauty where you find it... And in the eye of the beholder. Your little allotment is a piece of paradise!! Your photos are stunning as always!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenWhat a lovely and interesting post and oh dear, I´m really a garden snob hi hi! That´s for sure...
BeantwoordenVerwijderenHave a beautiful week, take care!
Titti
Snob of geen snob, jouw foto's zijn weer top! Leuk verhaal Madelief. Groetjes, Hetty
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIf anything, then I would be a garden snob too. I love all the natural looing gardens, I think organized chaos describes it best.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenYour pictures are absolutely amazing!
Have a nice day,
Eva
Wow! Your photos are fantastic ! I do not possess a gnome, a chrysanthemum or a gladioli ... does that make me a garden snob ?? :-)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenOh dear. My garden is a wild jumble of flowers and plants and I love it. I do have an old fishing ball and a ceramic duck in my garden. Your garden is a beauty!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenOh dear I have the hanging baskets and the gladoli and the tarmac drive so can't be a garden snob! At least we now know how to hold the tea cup properly! Your garden looks superb! Sarah x
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI don't have enough garden to qualify as a gardener let alone a garden snob, unless refusing to ever make space for begonias makes me one ... it's the fleshy leaves, they make me shudder.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenYour garden is perfection, it truly is.
Wow, I just love it!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIs my garden surviving this searing heat?I dont know:(((
Oh dear, I think I'm half way to being a garden snob! My grandfather had gnomes though, so perhaps that lets me off the hook? Jane xx
BeantwoordenVerwijderen