For me, gardening and show gardens have always been a passion of the heart, I do not create show gardens to win medals, although getting a bronze medal at such a prestigious event was a great honour, instead I create my show gardens to show that there is no dichotomy between gardening and art, indeed as an artist (a sculptor and painter with a degree in fine arts) I find gardening to be the most lively and profound medium of art.
Of course when the line between an art work and a garden is taken away it can be hard to comprehend as ether, here is my gardens greatest appeal; its immense versatility as a work of beauty which can be appreciated by the artist and the gardener.
The garden in its most basic form is a utility which can provide inspiration for leisure, reflection or pleasure; therefore our gardens are our works of art and should be judged according to the emotions they evoke in us and not according to criteria we feel we need to satisfy. The gardener is the artist who should always be willing to break from tradition and allow a spirit of innovation and not a spirit of convention to be their guide.
If my garden achieves one goal I would like it to show that gardening is the most dynamic art form with the widest scope and not just a hobby for a few green thumbs. Hopefully by pushing the parameters I have shown that the time has come for show gardening to realise itself as a great domain for the artist.
As an artist I often sought as many artists do, to capture the essence, the stunning magnificence of nature, however, I have come to realise that by working with plants as my palate and the garden as my canvas I cannot fail to show why it is nature in all its splendid vibrancy and vivacity which serves as the greatest eternal inspiration for the artist. It is in the garden that the most vibrant colours, the most original shades and most extraordinary tones can be created by the fusion of artist, gardener and nature working together.
The garden as a work of art is the most open to interpretation and to criticism. This is a reflection of its diverse nature. As one mans weed is another’s flower, then truly one persons garden is often hard for another to appreciate. Here is the personal dynamic of gardening; the gardener does more than create a place of beauty they create in my mind their own personal vision of joy.
On the outside my garden shows a potting shed in a state of decline gradually being eroded and reclaimed by the plants it was created to care for. However, on a deeper level it could deal with many themes ranging from the conflict between man and nature to the concept of the passage of time. This is a key interest of mine, showing that the garden can be a garden, an artwork or a place to inspire and provoke thought, here I feel I reflect the ethos of the Japanese Zen garden as a place of meditation and contemplation.
All in all, I hope I have shown that a garden is far more than the organisation of plants and objects to create a nice area. The garden and its possibilities, like the canvas are only limited by the imagination of the gardener, infinite in its potential.
12th June 2008
