Gardens of Conformity…

By Radical Rhymes

We have a garden, well two to be exact. At the front a very small terrace overrun by a Buddleia, at the back, a relatively small grassy area with a decrepit shed. Both are wild, both are neglected. We, you see, are not gardeners. It’s not fun for us, it’s a time drain. Admittedly, there is a momentary sense of achievement whenever we tackle the worst of it and defeat it, but that is as far as it goes.

However, we are surrounded by people who do not subscribe to the same philosophy. They delight in defying nature, bending their gardens to their will. Neat hedges, trimmed lawns and glorious flower beds. They have patios and decking, seats with tables and umbrellas, they enjoy kicking back and seeing their wills shaped into perfect topiary.

We even have neighbors who will spend time scrubbing window ledges and steps, with sprinklers set on timers and security lights that capture every movement and serve to spotlight their gargantuan efforts.

That is not us.

In truth, I do enjoy seeing their labors and admiring the products of those labors. Some of the gardens are, in their own way, works of art. But that is as far as it goes. We are never going to be committed gardeners – except maybe to turn our spaces into something practical. Growing some of our own food and having chickens is a medium-term goal.

And yet… We will get our gardens into some shape; we will cut and trim and plant because we feel we are letting the side down. Ours is one of very few that stand out for the wrong reasons. Mind, you no-one actually says anything to us about your wild and wonderful gardens because that would be rude, but, we understand their disapproval, we feel their disappointment, and it’s not something we readily embrace. Being different is great in some ways, but not in others.

In some ways this article feeds directly off the previous one I wrote about knowing your own mind, because I’m not certain what I truly want for our gardens. I’d probably go for the trimming and manipulating, the dominance over nature if it were easy to achieve, if we could do it by simply clicking our fingers.

Sitting outside reading on decking surrounded by color and life – who couldn’t want that?

Me. We. Perhaps. You see, we like the wilderness too, the brambles and the ivy and the sense of absence of control. We like to think about the animals that benefit and the insects that thrive in it. So, once again, I am faced with this problem of knowing my own mind.

Do I want to conform or let nature take its course?

Radical Rhymes is a professional artist working with a range of media – predominantly animal/human portraits and landscapes – including, most recently, hand painted furniture. You can see his work on Instagram Radicalrhymes1969 or on Twitter @RhymesRadical.

For commissions, please contact him on Twitter via Direct Message or by email at: radicalrhymes@outlook.com His work is also available to buy on Etsy

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