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Post by Janglers on May 21, 2007 9:00:23 GMT
Well that's what an item on Radio 4 said this morning. Evidently we are turning into a nation of plant snobs. As it has been pointed out before, I am not the brightest flower in the border, but I have always been interested in gardening, and from learning all my life, have a good knowledge. I wonder if that is the view of people that are not interested in gardening? I find that people on here all share tips, whether they are knowledgeable gardeners, or not.
What do you think?
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Post by faeryboots on May 21, 2007 9:33:55 GMT
What on earth is a snobby gardener? I grow what I like and try not to have anything too poisonous around because tyg four is a 'fiddler'. I don't care what is and isn't in fashion and if I know something I'm happy to pass on info. Just people being silly in my opinion.
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Post by revmichael on May 21, 2007 11:00:25 GMT
Strangely I find gardening is a bit like fashion - I grow things that I like and sometimes I'm told that it's very fashionable to have that plant just now.
I have been guilty of wearing fashionable clothes (but not very often) but it's always an accident when I do. I don't know what is in, and what is out of fashion.
I agree with the two ladies above. Plant what you like, providing it doesn't cause a problem to you or anyone else.
(Well, that's a bit of a hypocritical statement because I find my roses are a problem to me - inasmuch as they those with vicious thorns tear at my arms - but I still love them.)
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Lucy Lastic
Young Limb
Another cynical ex hippy now working for the establishment
Posts: 33
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Post by Lucy Lastic on May 21, 2007 11:29:21 GMT
Well that's what an item on Radio 4 said this morning. Evidently we are turning into a nation of plant snobs. As it has been pointed out before, I am not the brightest flower in the border, but I have always been interested in gardening, and from learning all my life, have a good knowledge. I wonder if that is the view of people that are not interested in gardening? I find that people on here all share tips, whether they are knowledgeable gardeners, or not. What do you think? Do they mean that some plants are 'in' or 'out' or do they mean the people who have to show off their 'superior' knowledge by spouting long Latin names .....you know the ones...I would say Oriental Poppy but they would tell you about their Papaver Orientalis whatever.
'Real' gardeners are always willing to share tips - and you don't need vast amounts of knowledge to get pleasure from gardening
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Post by Shuggie on May 21, 2007 11:50:21 GMT
Well that's what an item on Radio 4 said this morning. Evidently we are turning into a nation of plant snobs. As it has been pointed out before, I am not the brightest flower in the border, but I have always been interested in gardening, and from learning all my life, have a good knowledge. I wonder if that is the view of people that are not interested in gardening? I find that people on here all share tips, whether they are knowledgeable gardeners, or not. What do you think? Do they mean that some plants are 'in' or 'out' or do they mean the people who have to show off their 'superior' knowledge by spouting long Latin names .....you know the ones...I would say Oriental Poppy but they would tell you about their Papaver Orientalis whatever.
'Real' gardeners are always willing to share tips - and you don't need vast amounts of knowledge to get pleasure from gardeningOoooerr! *makes mental note to avoid referring to Ceanothus Thyrsiflorous Repens and refer instead to "that low-growing Californian Lilaccy thingy with the blue flowers and shiny leaves"*
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Post by faeryboots on May 21, 2007 12:10:31 GMT
I must admit I teach the tygs both the Latin and common name, I do think Latin is very useful. I don't think I'm a snob though. Oi Jan, am I snob mate? xx
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Post by Fi on May 21, 2007 12:36:35 GMT
Do they mean that some plants are 'in' or 'out' or do they mean the people who have to show off their 'superior' knowledge by spouting long Latin names .....you know the ones...I would say Oriental Poppy but they would tell you about their Papaver Orientalis whatever.
'Real' gardeners are always willing to share tips - and you don't need vast amounts of knowledge to get pleasure from gardening Ooooerr! *makes mental note to avoid referring to Ceanothus Thyrsiflorous Repens and refer instead to "that low-growing Californian Lilaccy thingy with the blue flowers and shiny leaves"* Shouldn't that be Ceanothus thyrsiflorous var. repens ? When speaking it's OK to lean to the right to show that you're talking in italics.
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Post by Fi on May 21, 2007 12:57:06 GMT
I suspect Michael is spot on. given all of the TV time given over to garden designs and designers, there will be more than a few people who treat their gardens as casually as their clothes and decor - to them it's not casual at all to have the latest flower, the latest layout, the latest garden furniture etc and for the wealthy, the lastest fashionable designer to do it all for you and a gardener who is paid to maintain it. However, i'm still sure that that real gardeners are still the majority and will remain so. They may add the odd 'fashionable' item to their own garden, but not with the intent of throwing it away when it is no longer fashionable. As for naming plants, yes, certainly some people might stick with latin names to demonstrate their supposed superiority, but again I'm certain they are a minority. For the majority it depends on how anyone first learned about gardening so is nothing more than a cultural thing. Although, as a palaeontologist, I am at ease with Linean nomenclature (which includes Greek derivatives as well as Latin), but I often find it difficult to remember names unless their latin name is descriptive. And sometimes I can't even remember the common name. I can however, tell you all the plants that went into my first garden, using either common or formal taxonomy, when my father gave me a patch all to myself - I was five at the time.
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Post by Shuggie on May 21, 2007 14:45:49 GMT
Ooooerr! *makes mental note to avoid referring to Ceanothus Thyrsiflorous Repens and refer instead to "that low-growing Californian Lilaccy thingy with the blue flowers and shiny leaves"* Shouldn't that be Ceanothus thyrsiflorous var. repens ? When speaking it's OK to lean to the right to show that you're talking in italics. *leans to right* Sorry about that ... I was trying not to be a smart@rse too snobbish ...
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Post by Fi on May 21, 2007 15:50:12 GMT
Shouldn't that be Ceanothus thyrsiflorous var. repens ? When speaking it's OK to lean to the right to show that you're talking in italics. *leans to right* Sorry about that ... I was trying not to be a smart@rse too snobbish ... I thought you were doing that when you spelled 'thyrsiflorus' 'thyrsiflorous'. *grins*
*wonders where to hide*
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Post by revmichael on May 21, 2007 16:16:27 GMT
I suspect Michael is spot on. given all of the TV time given over to garden designs and designers, there will be more than a few people who treat their gardens as casually as their clothes and decor - to them it's not casual at all to have the latest flower, the latest layout, the latest garden furniture etc and for the wealthy, the lastest fashionable designer to do it all for you and a gardener who is paid to maintain it. However, i'm still sure that that real gardeners are still the majority and will remain so. They may add the odd 'fashionable' item to their own garden, but not with the intent of throwing it away when it is no longer fashionable. As for naming plants, yes, certainly some people might stick with latin names to demonstrate their supposed superiority, but again I'm certain they are a minority. For the majority it depends on how anyone first learned about gardening so is nothing more than a cultural thing. Although, as a palaeontologist, I am at ease with Linean nomenclature (which includes Greek derivatives as well as Latin), but I often find it difficult to remember names unless their latin name is descriptive. And sometimes I can't even remember the common name. I can however, tell you all the plants that went into my first garden, using either common or formal taxonomy, when my father gave me a patch all to myself - I was five at the time.
PMR thinks I'm showing off when I use the Latin name of plants but she eventually saw what I meant when we went to Minorca. She was driving and suddenly she said, 'I'm going to give you a brand new experience.' I wondered what was going to happen. She said, 'There's a Garden Centre coming up - and I'm going to drive right past it without going in.' But she relented and we did go in. It was a very nice one too and everything was labelled with the common name - in Spanish. She then began to realize that knowing the Latin names helps, as they were underneath. Also a blue bell in England is a different plant to what, I believe, the Scottish people call a Blue Bell (I call theirs a Hair bell). And I believe what the Americans call a Blue Bell is another plant entirely.
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Post by lily on May 21, 2007 16:34:38 GMT
Like Fi, I was given a present of RHS membership as I wanted to go to Hampton Court on the Press Day. It's busy enough then but at least it's easier than the other days! (And I saw Terry in his top hat!)
Now I go on the Tuesday every year, but frankly haven't got a clue what the names of things are...I bought a stunning black grass 'cos I loved it and still don't know what it's called!
I guess there may be a difference between gardeners and people who garden and suspect most of us are the latter...sharing tips, thoughts and not least, plants!
xxx
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Lucy Lastic
Young Limb
Another cynical ex hippy now working for the establishment
Posts: 33
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Post by Lucy Lastic on May 21, 2007 19:19:16 GMT
I must admit I teach the tygs both the Latin and common name, I do think Latin is very useful. I don't think I'm a snob though. Oi Jan, am I snob mate? xx Ah but it's one thing KNOWING the Latin names (and I confess I find them useful too) and quite another to act as if using them gives one some sort of superiority, which was the point I was trying to make. I had to learn the Latin names when I did Botany at school in the dim and distant past. I also confess that when I'm talking to my colleagues who are involved with trees that we use the Latin names because it helps to differentiate the sub species and again I had to learn these names in the past.
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Post by Fi on May 21, 2007 23:46:00 GMT
Like Fi, I was given a present of RHS membership as I wanted to go to Hampton Court on the Press Day. It's busy enough then but at least it's easier than the other days! (And I saw Terry in his top hat!)
Now I go on the Tuesday every year, but frankly haven't got a clue what the names of things are...I bought a stunning black grass 'cos I loved it and still don't know what it's called!
I guess there may be a difference between gardeners and people who garden and suspect most of us are the latter...sharing tips, thoughts and not least, plants!
xxx The black grass may be Ophiopogon *looks smug*
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Post by smiffy on May 22, 2007 4:33:51 GMT
I plant what I like, where I want, and learn by my mistakes. I call them by names that I recognise, ie Ceanothus (sp??) was for years blue ball bush as I had inherrited it and didnt know its real name!
Oh, and the two best things to grow in my garden is weeds and tired!
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Post by Janglers on May 22, 2007 6:47:39 GMT
I must admit I teach the tygs both the Latin and common name, I do think Latin is very useful. I don't think I'm a snob though. Oi Jan, am I snob mate? xx I was talking to PMJ about my use of the Latin names and he says that I do use them. However, think of the trouble we would have describing a particular viburnum if we didn't use the Latin name. Having said that, it would be sad to see the common names die out: granny's bonnet, snapdragon and snowball bush, to name but a few. You a snob Faery? Nahhhh, in fact you is nearly as common as wot I is darlin'., me ole China. ;D
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Post by BjornTobyStomped on May 22, 2007 22:33:54 GMT
I prefer to use the latin names of plants, somehow the common names don't fit the plants to me.
This is probably because I worked in a garden centre for ten an a half years not because I'm a snob or want to sound clever.
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Post by Ava Bike on May 23, 2007 18:22:40 GMT
I must admit I teach the tygs both the Latin and common name, I do think Latin is very useful. I don't think I'm a snob though. Oi Jan, am I snob mate? xx Ah but it's one thing KNOWING the Latin names (and I confess I find them useful too) and quite another to act as if using them gives one some sort of superiority, which was the point I was trying to make. I had to learn the Latin names when I did Botany at school in the dim and distant past. I also confess that when I'm talking to my colleagues who are involved with trees that we use the Latin names because it helps to differentiate the sub species and again I had to learn these names in the past. Just as a point of interest, anyone who's met the PMB (16 stone, morris dancer and wrestler with a broad yorkshire type accent) will know that he's not a 'snob'. However, he always uses the latin names, particularly when referring to trees and shrubs. This is because for many years he worked as a hard and soft landscaper, and it was vital to differentiate between species to follow planting plans.
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Post by Shuggie on May 23, 2007 19:04:27 GMT
*leans to right* Sorry about that ... I was trying not to be a smart@rse too snobbish ... I thought you were doing that when you spelled 'thyrsiflorus' 'thyrsiflorous'. *grins*
*wonders where to hide*Any more of that and I'll draw attention to the fact that you can't spell Linnaean! I tend to use the Linnaean *winks at Fi* system because that's what I'm used to - simple as that. Mind you, I'm an insufferable snob as well - so much so that I can hardly bring myself to talk to low class rubbish like Fi and Lucy ... *puts on hard hat, moves slickly behind concrete blast wall*
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Lucy Lastic
Young Limb
Another cynical ex hippy now working for the establishment
Posts: 33
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Post by Lucy Lastic on May 24, 2007 0:00:59 GMT
I thought you were doing that when you spelled 'thyrsiflorus' 'thyrsiflorous'. *grins*
*wonders where to hide* Any more of that and I'll draw attention to the fact that you can't spell Linnaean! I tend to use the Linnaean *winks at Fi* system because that's what I'm used to - simple as that. Mind you, I'm an insufferable snob as well - so much so that I can hardly bring myself to talk to low class rubbish like Fi and Lucy ... *puts on hard hat, moves slickly behind concrete blast wall* Linnaean? Wasn't he in the Scottish squad a few years back? When we had a squad worth mentioning.
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