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SW London
A semi-mature, hardy individual who tries to get away with doing as little as possible in gardening as in life, still expects the best results & wonders why she is frequently disappointed! She likes to keep a photographic record of everything, good & frequently bad!

Thursday 28 October 2010

False Alarm

Chelsea Flower Show 2010 230 (2)  Chelsea Flower Show 2010 233

Is the trend for pretend & plastic in all things gardening increasing/getting worse? It certainly seems so to me. Indeed the poor taste brigade seems to be muscling in more & more. Actually, I am not talking about ‘all things’ gardening, I am referring to plants here…..you know, those things that grow, flower, die back; in other words they are living things that change with the seasons & the years providing huge enjoyment & also a little frustration to us mere mortals.

It all began earlier this year….

Image0484 Image0483 ……….I was quite horrified to see these lurid green balls in a garden centre. Who on earth would use these? I was soon to find out…..the biggest culprits seem to be pubs, or at least these are the most visible users of the panoply of plastic planting.

April Break 2010 043 Look at just a few of the things I have seen…………..

 

 

 

 

April Break 2010 049 April Break 2010 051 April Break 2010 048 Image1002 Image1003  Don’t you just love the 2 varieties of ‘ivy’ in the last picture & the ‘double bubble’ hanging balls!

I have always admired the planting outside pubs…

Peak Ditrict holiday July 2010 287                                     Peak Ditrict holiday July 2010 286

This is more like it!

 

 

 

 

So do you think we will see an even more widespread proliferation of this tasteful & easily maintained greening of our pubs & other premises?

 

**The green balls at the top are made from actual plants & were on show at the Chelsea Flower Show.

6 comments:

  1. pub near me has those hideous plastic box balls and I was shocked to see them on the website for Grand Designs live back in September - disgraceful!

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  2. Quite. I've had a similar rant previously over at mine under the public planting strand. I've noticed this year they seem to have become almost de rigeur for pubs :(

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  3. I have just been to a garden centre. Apparently dyed blue heathers are the thing this month - or bright green or pink. Ghastly!

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  4. Oh PG, that was awful; not a very grand design.

    I suppose I could act as devil's advocate VP & say that they are easier for pubs to keep but I always admired the plant displays outside so many pubs so it is sad to see them go.

    As for those heathers easygardener, they have been one of my pet hates for a few years now. Totally ghastly.

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  5. I've come here via OOTS - Hello!

    I haven't noticed any plastic plantings at pubs round here. Maybe I should look more closely !!

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  6. Hello Phoenix C. Long may non-plastic pub planting continue. I hope the plastic variety is not on a takeover mission!

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