Anything that makes our garden inherently different to anyone else has got to be good, right? Whether that's due to discerning preference or irrational aversion.
Having said that, I was surprised recently by the response when I posted a pic of my pots of ornamental kale on Instagram. I clearly went down in several followers estimation. They didn't hate me for it. They pitied me!
What do you think? Am I losing my good taste? (or was it that I never had any in the first place?)
Are you a plant snob? Should I become one? Am I missing something?
Discussion
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You went up in my estimation Michael as I don’t believe in good taste plants. Often they can become overused plants and as such eventually become poor taste plants in time. Instead I think all plants are equal 😊. It’s just how we use them in our gardens that makes a difference
I’ve always been firm believer in the maxim, whatever floats your boat. In gardening and in life more widely.
Having said that, I think the personal distaste of this or that plant is too often mistook for snobbishness. I have plants that never fail to illicit scorn in me, but it’s also always nice to be proven wrong. I love seeing plants I dislike in contexts that I can’t help but admire them in. I think there might actually be no plants I hate, I just haven’t seen the ones I don’t like used well yet.
I detested agapanthus for years but now find myself using a number of the dwarfs in gardens I do, to great effect. I wouldn’t be without them now. What other plant can thrive in temperate Australia with such minimal fuss? But the dislike still lingers for some of them; ‘Queen Mum’ makes me baulk every time.
I love those ornamental kale. Stunning! You went up in my estimation too, Michael! Also, taste changes markedly over one’s life (food, plants, music… everything!). It matters most that you are happy with whatever you plant. I smile to myself when I see a front garden near where I live which is largely an expanse of concrete. Someone has carefully placed a row of small ochre-coloured glazed pots, spaced about a metre apart, each planted carefully with a single marigold. It is clearly their idea of brightening up their space… whatever brings them joy!
I agree with James about Agapanthus. A perfect example. Everyone would utter such cries of scorn at the sight of them, including me, till one day the scales fell from my eyes and I realised that Agapanthus is beautiful. What an umbel! We should truly look carefully. However Iresine is awful.
Jealousy is a curse 🥱
Everyone has their own taste in everything – wouldn’t the world be boring if we were all the same? Nothing would challenge us anymore and let’s face it gardening is all about facing new challenges. Like James I was a hater of Agapanthus – I am a recent convert (to the hybrid, sterile varieties). They do so well! I overcome by biggest snobberies (is there such a word?) because of my non-gardening husband. When we are out and about he often chooses plants that he loves and I just think “hmmmm” but buy them anyway; In the end, I have ended up with some well-performing beauties. No matter how knowlegeable you are in horticulture (and I spent 20 years as an academic in the field) you never know more than what could (perhaps) fit on the head on a pin, that is why we all love it so much – ever a challenge and never boring — although the plant snobs can become that way.
Yeah, I love that we can be on a steep learning curve all our lives (in this game) and only scratch the surface…. It’s interesting isn’t it, how our partners, (with perhaps less educated, or loaded taste) can open our eyes to stuff we’ve been desensitised to?
Interesting discussion, i have a few plants that i really dont like such as photinia red robin and nandina.
The overuse of Photinia eveywhere with its glaring red tips 😳
However i am happy to be convinced otherwise. I just dont know how one ues this plant well in a landscape.
Weird isn’t it. I remember loving both Photinia and Pieris when I was first into gardening – loved those fiery red tips – but now that all plant choice (for me) is about how the plant contributes to the overall picture – the everything has to be integrated into the whole – I’ve got no time for them