Gardening-Unfashionable beauties in English City Gardens

In many of our English inner cities the faces of our gardens are changing. At one time even the tiniest garden would have a neatly trimmed privet hedge, at least one rose bush and a few traditional flowering bulbs and shrubs. So these changes are not really down to the constraints of size that modern day life can bring.

In some instances it is people's love affair with their car or cars which outweighs their requirement for a pretty garden. Whether or or not homes have garage access, off road parking has become a necessity for many. In areas where car crime is rife car owners just want their vehicle where they can keep their eyes on it. This outside area is usually what used to be their front garden. Plants have been dug up and grass removed so that the area can be block paved or gravelled, in order to provide a convenient parking space. This is also handy for many, as bothering to open the garage and park properly, is a nuisance and a hassle. I guess we can blame that on the 21st Century as everyone feels that their time is scarce and so precious.

These days gardening is low on the list of people's interests and usually viewed as a chore. Fairly maintenance free gardens tend to be preferred. Fashions also dictate what our gardens and yard areas look like as much as they do with the interiors of our homes. Minimalism is fashionable these days and this has lead to some of the more traditional flowers and plants becoming less popular.

Hopefully gardens and these traditional flowers will have a resurgence sooner or later. Most fashions go in cycles, after all. It is to be hoped that the English man's and woman's obsession about concreting or block paving gardens diminishes, as it could have a detrimental effect on communities. The flooding that England has experienced in the last few years has been exacerbated by the lack of God's good earth and the increase of the concrete jungle in our cities.New government regulations, regarding such changes to gardens in England, have tended to be ignored.

Many beautiful flowers and plants are seen rarely these days in the gardens of city homes around England, in the UK. Sure patio areas usually have pots with flowers and plants but more often than not these will be flowers such as lilies, which at one time were never seen in English gardens. Here are a few of my old garden favourites which will, hopefully, become popular again, as it is plain to see just how beautiful they can be.

A BEAUTIFUL GREEN LAWN

A rich green lawn was the pride and joy of most homes in England at one time. From postage stamp size gardens to those that were more palatial a lush green lawn was the centrepiece. Mowed so that the grass appeared to be striped, a lot of time and effort went into keeping this lawn spic and span. These days if you still have a lawn the upkeep is much easier. With cheap and lightweight mowers and a wealth of products to help maintain your lawn going "green" is not so time consuming.

ROSES

Roses had, and still have, something for everyone. For those who prefer neat and tidy, formal gardens Standard Rose Bushes may fit the bill. Climbing rose plants and bushes will appeal to those who like a more natural looking garden. Roses can be bought that have tiny delicate flowers or large showy ones, the choice is yours. If your roses are plagued with greenfly try spraying them with an eco-friendly solution of diluted washing-up-liquid. Bury banana skins at the base of the roses to cheaply supply nutrients to your plant.

GLADIOLI

Grown from bulbs, Gladioli bulbs flower in late summer. They are tall and elegant but are unpopular in English gardens these days. They do often need staking in order to keep them growing straight, and are prone to having insects hiding in the flowers, but they are beautiful. Trimmed and displayed indoors they make a lovely flower arrangement. Just rinse first and shake upside down to remove any insects. Gladioli are available as dwarf, medium or tall pants and come in a myriad of colours.

FUCHSIA

Fuchsia's were in most gardens when I was young. They were usually the large bush variety that had small flowers. These days you can purchase ones with double flowers, many colours and shades of pink, that are perennials or annuals and those suitable for hanging baskets and tubs. Fuchsias need minimal care and will thrive in most conditions.

TULIPS

Tulip bulbs provide welcome colour in a Spring garden. They do tend to droop especially in windy weather and when cut for display in vases. As kids we were told that an aspirin in the water of cut tulips would extend their life. I am not sure how true this is.

CHRYSANTHEMUM

Chrysanthemums tend to be bought and sold these days as pot mums. These are often given as gifts and disposed of when flowering has ceased. However if you plant them outdoors they will re-flower and grow much larger. Chrysanthemums are less popular in England these days either as a garden plant or for bunching for display.

DAHLIAS

These large pom pom flowers are neater and fuller than Chrysanthemum flowers and, in many, ways more beautiful.

ENGLISH CITIES

Of course there are still some city homes that have beautiful gardens. These are not always the more expensive larger homes but they sometimes are. Our cities also still have parks, municipal gardens and the like. However many of these have disappeared or shrunk in order to make way for car parks. Those that have survived no longer hold many of the traditional flowers which one was bound to see in English gardens, in years gone by.

It would be lovely to see some of those traditional English garden flowers and plants become popular again. As grass and flowers disappear from our city homes gardens the wildlife such as butterflies, birds and bees are also declining. For those who want a maintenance free garden it is possible to have a compromise with some gravel, hanging baskets and large pots holding plants.

As Hubby and I are getting older our grass has gone from our gardens. This was a necessity as, with two dogs, it was impossible to maintain. Also It had become hard work now that we are not so young. However we still have borders full of plants and flowers, with pots and hanging baskets adding extra colour.

Sitting in your own garden on a hot summer's day as birds, bees and butterflies whizz around you is calming, relaxing and for me one of the loveliest things about summer. You cannot do that on a block paved car park area. Those sorts of gardens are turning our residential areas into one big garage come car park and that is so sad.