Points all well taken. I've read the Piet Oudolf/kingsbury book. I love all of their books. Have heard good things about the Diane Dreher book, but have not read that one. I'll have to look for it. Interesting her point about cultivating within what we cultivate without. I always think of that in the opposite direction: what we cultivate within is reflected in the cultivation of our surroundings - that is - we leave our mark on our surroundings and hope that in turn it leaves its mark on us. I often reflect on why I spend such an enormous amount of time in the garden when it is certain that whomever lives in this house after I am gone will not tend it accordingly. It will not be 'theirs' the way it is mine. I reflect on this especially at the end of a good day of gardening when I can barely move because I am too sore! I can only believe that it is the process of it that I enjoy - the actual tending and watching and waiting and being rewarded with good things - the trial and error of it, and even the disappointment of losing plants over the winter, or the irritation of losing something because I forgot it was there and it got shaded out. (Ideas Genie has helped with this, I can tell you.) The textures, sounds, smells, colors, insect life, and the cycles of the seasons are all part of this.
I 've got to tell you, I don't have television, nor do I spend much time watching anything on video or DVD. Therefore, my attention span has not been trained to accept 'sound bites' as useful pieces of information. I find the cadence of television and movies to be jangling to my nerves and I cannot help but believe that the generations of people who are being reared with a constant barrage of chatter from one instrument of torture or another are growing brains that are incapable of appreciating the slow and regular rhythm of something such as tending a garden. I recently read in Time magazine that many college freshmen have never read an entire book. This is a tragedy of enormous proportions. The good professors are rising to this challenge by failing to assign entire books to be read, thereby reinforcing this character defect. I fear I begin to sound very old here, but I cannot see how moving further and further away from the natural rhythms of life can be a healthy thing. I, myself, take regular long breaks from spending too much time at the computer because of information overload. My plants require less of me. But I seriously digress...
Back to your post. True it is that many countries give us good examples of gardening excellence, the Dutch and the Germans but two, but the American psyche is caught in its emancipation from the Brits. As a country, we are but young adolescents, as it obvious from the way our politicians act like they know everything and should be telling everyone else how to live their lives. (Does this not smack of adolescence? What parent has not wanted to shout, "Quick! Move into your own place while you still know everything!) Like a good parent, the British gardening establishment has given us good role models from which to emancipate actively while we find our own way and our own 'American' style. It is sad to hear that the British are becoming a bit more 'American' by their indifference to the process of gardening. And to think: they are supposed to be older and wiser. Sad. Very, very sad. I wonder if you can buy 'instant' gardens in England like you can in the U.S. I can never understand the attraction in buying a complete, pre-selected group of plants that are guarenteed to look good together. What fun is that? Where is the excitement in it? Where is the creativity? Is this what gardening is going to come to in England? I truely hope NOT!
Now as to the importance of hardscaping over plants, that's just a crock of 'you know what'. Sounds to me like masters Taylor and Cooper are just a bit too uppity and self-important for their own good. It's a 'chicken or egg' question to which there is never a specific answer that suits all instances. Naturally hardscaping is important in terms of structure. definition of space and style, and containment for plantings, as well as being beautiful in its own right. But hardscaping without plants is no garden. Plants without hardscaping is, however, a garden. Personally, I like for these things to evolve together. If I had to follow some kind of ridiculous rule about doing one first and then the other, I'd probably never get around to gardening at all.
You are exactly right about the evolution from quantity to quality. I believe it's a pattern any serious gardener can see in the development of their gardening style. I am moving quickly from the 'plant collector' stage where I want to grow every interesting plant I see and I somehow figure out a way to make them all work together. I see myself continuing to have my head turned by a pretty face, but more able to say 'no, you don't need that one. you have no place for it at this time'. I'm becoming more interested in being thoughtful about what I put where and why, and doing all the underplanting, etc. etc. and that is reflected in my satisfaction in the results. I think it's a natural progression.
I always get opinionated late at night.
