The Potential Threat to the Traditional Sustainable Attributes of Gardens and Gardening.

Vast numbers of professionals and amateurs have reverted back to traditional and historic methods of landscaping and gardening techniques in the last few years. The resurgence of allotments and an overall fixed perception in the minds of the population as a whole has not been the result of media driven coverage and the media have only attempted to try and satisfy a demand for this new trend and in many cases have done badly in trying to do so.There have been many attempts to explain the trend and the overwhelming evidence is that in many cases it is attractive simply because it is a pleasurable activity that also helps to allow for a return to lost values and a little effort in self protection when facing the environmental disasters facing us all.The media are obsessed in trying to hold some form of control on this. A desire to create a ‘delia’ effect, last seen in the gardening and land management media during ‘ground force’, which was far removed from these new ideals, has led to some remarkable scheduling and commissioning of programmes which have so far failed in this attempt and looking at the proposed new programmes look set to continue to fail in the immediate future. Quite possibly because those intended as the audience are actually out there now enjoying their gardens and the process of development, but there is also evidence that actually this desperately sought audience have after being told how to do it properly by ‘ TV experts’ in every other respect are now determined to learn by their mistakes.But advice is still sought, the old boy leaning on his spade amidst a crop of superb cabbages is the new ‘Local Hero’. The fact that the extraordinary geology, geography and subsequent micro climates of the UK make for a matching diversity of growing zones, means that centralised media advice is rarely applicable to many. There is no translation for the French word terroir, which describes this phenomena but the local conditions are ignored at one’s peril and this has to many been realised. Local magazines, groups etc., are seeing a surge in membership, (I recently perused a copy of the Devon Small Holders magazine, the list of new members between issues took up a few pages.). There is a risk, (as highlighted in the CSL blog - Self Sufficiency and Sustainable Land Management), but it does appear that the majority are adhering to advice from their new found peersThe only modern media available to assist in this regard are the plethora of bloggers positioned throughout the UK. As such when Matthew Appleby recently criticised some of these blogs and bloggers, it backfired badly; these blogs may appear boring to the incumbent horticultural media, but the new flood appear to want to distant themselves from celebrity spotting snippets and poor attempts at clarksonesque witticism. The desire to know what works where and why together with a united appraisal of why horticulture is so pleasing an activity to engage in, will remain strong and will resonate more with the majority. Together with fact that there is some really refreshing and original writing, Cat Fereday for example, which appeals to those on the periphery as well, means that the professional garden journalists are now on the back hoof and know it.Which leads to why I have used the title of this blog and my own genuine fear for the industry at large; the fight back by the incumbent media:The PR departments of high profile long established organisations, together with the media at large appear to be not only unwilling to change track and embrace the new situation but want to halt it and continue down a route of making themselves elitist and as such a mimic of the continuing trend of separating themselves from the public, (as seen in UK politics, business and media in most elements of modern British culture).There is a reason to see this as a threat as they have the money and mind to do this and as it is evident that politicians appear to follow PR decisions like dogs after aniseed, this money and elitism could filter into policy changes affecting the whole industry both professional and amateur.To look at ‘Whats on Offer’ at Chelsea 2010, to see new programmes which introduce people into the industry in a ‘X factor’ style, etc., scares me. I am scared that the resulting damage to the traditional sustainable attributes of this industry will be swept aside in a desire to utilise the UK country and garden landscape as a platform based on the fundamentals of the fashion or tourist industry – ie totally lacking in any sustainability at all. A continuation of this apparent new policy will thus ignore traditions, heritage and the range of micro climates, (terroir) simply in order to increase ratings or readership.Or maybe and I hope it is true that, we will turn our back on this, seek out the old boy amongst his vegetables and continue to grow and enjoy it.

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Comments

Felicity Waters May 6, 2010 at 10:32pm

you never know 'local' gardening may take off .....it certainly has for those interested in indigenous plants in Australia ......collecting seed that has local provenance is gaining momentum in Australia .....
Fenlandphil May 7, 2010 at 12:26am

I think with the prescence of the internet and its resulting interactivity ,it will be a little while before any real conclusions can be drawn as to whether the established media has control of opinion.
My immediate guess is that economic conditions will shape everything and the likely return to a recession with the real possibility of high rates of unemployment will make new thinking and new directions unlikely. The rise of the allotment and a grow your own mentality will be a defence against hard tmes, which I fear may be back with a vengance. If this is proves to be the case, the local hero may well be regarded as more relevant than a national celebrity gardener.