01 February 2012

Why Don't You... Bulldoze Your Parterre?

Why don't you...
Do yew in a different way? Allow it to revert to primeval shapes, more fantastic than the maddest topiary.
Why don't you...
Let your box go wild? Manicured box gets blight and wild box does not.

Why don't you...
Consider a grove of laurels instead of a laurel hedge? That way, the big shiny leaves are out of sight and the well-shaped wood is on show.
 
For some authentic Diana Vreeland 'Why Don't You' ideas in Harper's Bazaar, see Empirella

3 comments:

  1. Please keep both the parterre as well as the wild garden. For those who want persuading, take a long weekend to the Loire and go to Chateau Villandry, and wander in their garden. It is a Michelin 3* guidebook place to see, and is the best parterre I have ever seen. It even uses decorative kale and cabbages to accent the fruit, flowers and veg. It does require a huge workforce - 10 gardeners plus - for a size not much bigger than Brooke or Marsh Hall gardens. Your wild garden has its beauty, and needs only the occasional clearance, not constant manicuring. That’s like the 'French' nails of yummy mummies. Maybe we should get rid of those instead.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Peter - I will miss your erudition as you trek round Katmandu this month. However, you must know that I sometimes say idiotic things just for fun.

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  2. I hope you're going to pat your child's cheeks with cream tonight, as the English do.

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