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Gardens in eye of the beholder

By Greg Rine
Our perceptions and expectations of our gardens are as varied as the lifestyles we lead. I see this in the gardens and garden owners that I encounter in both my personal and professional life.

Many of those who appreciate the finer things of life haven’t got the time to garden, so they engage specialists to take care of design, installation and maintenance.

The garden is a soft asset that adds value to the house, and is a place of passive recreation. Its owner hasn’t got the time to be more involved with it, and that’s okay.

Then there are the gardeners who do work in their gardens, which as a result have high intrinsic value. There are stories galore behind many of their plants – often linked to family events that range from garden projects to social gatherings.

Design is often a secondary consideration here. The plantings may appear haphazard or disparate – even cluttered after a period of time.

But the gardener is happy – and probably blissfully unaware that their pastime is a wonderful form of therapy. For them, the garden is a place of pleasure and relaxation, both active and passive. They enjoy themselves there.

Then there is the owner-created designed garden. This garden is as considered, ordered and measured as the house itself. Spatial integrity, scale and proportion are highly valued in both plants and garden structures.

A plant with the wrong-coloured flower will be swiftly exterminated so it does not undermine the contrivance. This garden is a living art installation, and it is valued highly by the gardener. It also is the source of much pleasure and relaxation, both active and passive – though often with an element of fragility.

These are simple definitions of some garden types. Out in the real world, the lines are blurred because people have different motivations, skills and limitations. But whatever your level of involvement with your garden, it will not do you any harm at all.

Greg Rine (left) is Regional Gardens Manager for the Taranaki Regional Council. This column was published in the Taranaki Daily News on 29 July, 2011.