Who make the best gardeners and designers - men or women? - Forum

What a good question!!! I guess it all depends on the individual although in my heart of hearts I would say men make better garden designers and women make better planting designers (I can feel the wrath of the PC brigade already!!). Men on the whole have more natural knowledge of construction and technicalities - and women are more driven by how something looks and feels - however there are exceptions - I know women who could show men a thing or two about construction and I also know men who are amazing planting designers. However as for me - the construction side is always something I leave to the blokes - my brain just isn't wired that way - I am more interested in what the garden is going to look like, flow like and behave like - It all comes down to team work with everyone working to their strengths.

On this whole gender thing - I think the PC stuff is getting really out of hand - I am female and want to be treated like a female!! Poor men - they have got a real hard deal at the mo -! If only we could go back in time to when women were women and men were men and everyone knew where they stood! Much simpler! (and then us women could rebel and shock by wearing trousers or riding a bike) - there is nothing left to rebel against any more - total freedom creates its own prison...

Replies

Felicity Waters May 19, 2010 at 11:23pm

I wish i could use power drills with skill - i have ideas all the time but feel constrained by my inability to use the hammer drill on our reinforced concrete walls - this is a gender issue I am sure - it takes strength - should I go to power drill school?
Kirsty Blair May 20, 2010 at 12:56am

Mmmm, interesting question.

To be fair, I'm not so sure its a gender thing.
There are quite a few guys that have worked for me that didn't know their spanner from their elbow.
Can't say I have a tender or sensitive touch to that matter.

I'd like to think I'm getting jobs NOT just because of gender.

I think its an easy generalisation to make but not so convinced that it make a difference, more to do with personality, design skills, build quality etc etc.
Kirsty Blair May 20, 2010 at 10:49pm

Hey Steve, explain please, why are men better at ground maintenance and landscaping?

Steve Kenyon The Garden Company said:
gardeners i think women prob ! but for landscaping and grounds maint sorry girls us fellas
Geoff Norfolk May 21, 2010 at 6:25am

Nothing to do with gender..... you must be using the wrong drill!..... an SDS drill goes through the toughest concrete unless you hit a steel reinforcing rod. I find cordless hammer drills very poor in comparison.

Felicity Waters said:
I wish i could use power drills with skill - i have ideas all the time but feel constrained by my inability to use the hammer drill on our reinforced concrete walls - this is a gender issue I am sure - it takes strength - should I go to power drill school?
Giles Landscapes May 21, 2010 at 1:13pm

What a good question!!! I guess it all depends on the individual although in my heart of hearts I would say men make better garden designers and women make better planting designers (I can feel the wrath of the PC brigade already!!). Men on the whole have more natural knowledge of construction and technicalities - and women are more driven by how something looks and feels - however there are exceptions - I know women who could show men a thing or two about construction and I also know men who are amazing planting designers. However as for me - the construction side is always something I leave to the blokes - my brain just isn't wired that way - I am more interested in what the garden is going to look like, flow like and behave like - It all comes down to team work with everyone working to their strengths.

On this whole gender thing - I think the PC stuff is getting really out of hand - I am female and want to be treated like a female!! Poor men - they have got a real hard deal at the mo -! If only we could go back in time to when women were women and men were men and everyone knew where they stood! Much simpler! (and then us women could rebel and shock by wearing trousers or riding a bike) - there is nothing left to rebel against any more - total freedom creates its own prison...
David Channon May 21, 2010 at 2:47pm

Err Dunno.............What was Gertrude Jeckell exactly?
pete May 22, 2010 at 6:37am

Here's a nice picture of Karen – she and me do maintenance together and she works harder than any bloke I've ever worked with - we couldn't do the job without each other.

…...note for Colin - she won the shot-put competition at the work's sports day at her first job!
chris nangle May 22, 2010 at 11:58am

i like women garden designers but i also like men garden designers but who is better only one way to find out.
FIGHT!
Cesare Harradine May 22, 2010 at 12:44pm

I work with my wife. We both bring different but complimentary skills. I bring logic and brute force, she brings and artistic eye and attention to detail. In answer to your question the best gardener/designer is a male/female partnership. I wish we worked as well at home!

One thing though. I've lost a couple of contracts when my wife came with me. Nothing to do with the quality of her work. More, I suspect, the cultural background of the client. Touchy subject!!
GORDON May 22, 2010 at 2:02pm

In the same way that women's feet are smaller so they can get closer to the kitchen sink, women's feet are also smaller so they are able to delicately tip-pie toe between the plants. The wonders of modern evolution.

Simples "FIGHT"