Kate's question on garden and house evaluation reminded me of a
programme I caught 5 minutes of, on preparing a garden for the Yellow
Book Scheme.

I may have got it completely wrong, but what it seemed to be saying was
that the owner's purpose was to raise money for charity through the
Yellow Book scheme, and was delighted in their first year's open day to
have raised £3000.

Earlier the presenter had made the comment that the owner had "invested"
£40,000 in the garden.

The thought sprang to mind "wouldn't it have been more cost effective to
have simply given £40,000 to charity?" Though they now have a garden to
enjoy, and some increase in value of the house, and the pleasure of
sharing their garden with other people. I dunno. I suppose the 14th Open
Day they will start to make a "profit" in monetary terms, and all the
other things do have a value.

I suppose, too, that naively I had imagined people had gardens which
they developed and maintained for their own enjoyment, which they then
shared with others and raised money for charity along the way. The
concept of deliberately investing in a garden just in order to open it
is alien to me.

But then I do know someone whose main purpose in redecorating his house
appeared to be to get into one of the house and home type magazines!
--
Kay

On 9 Aug, 12:01, K wrote:
Earlier the presenter had made the comment that the owner had "invested"
£40,000 in the garden.

I blame the government for mis-using 'investment' to mean
'expenditure'.

When I was growing up anything 'invested' in could be re-sold later to
'realise the investment' during bad economic times. Imagine going up
the pawn shop "I've got a bundle of old nurses pay slips. I invested
4 million quid in them last year".

In article ,
says...
The thought sprang to mind "wouldn't it have been more cost effective to
have simply given £40,000 to charity?" Though they now have a garden to
enjoy, and some increase in value of the house, and the pleasure of
sharing their garden with other people. I dunno. I suppose the 14th Open
Day they will start to make a "profit" in monetary terms, and all the
other things do have a value.


If they spent that to get to be in the yellow book thats a bit sad,
especially as numbers can drop in years to come. but if the garden was
their passion I suppose its their money! personally I think I would have
trouble enjoying it if I knew that much money had been spent, for me its
doing or growing it myself thats the attraction, there are so many more
important things you could do with that sort of money. But it may be they
had huge problems to have a garden like large retaining walls or
renovations of old structures in which case it may have been unavoidable
expense
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Charlie Pridham wrote:
In article ,
says...
The thought sprang to mind "wouldn't it have been more cost effective to
have simply given £40,000 to charity?" Though they now have a garden to
enjoy, and some increase in value of the house, and the pleasure of
sharing their garden with other people. I dunno. I suppose the 14th Open
Day they will start to make a "profit" in monetary terms, and all the
other things do have a value.


If they spent that to get to be in the yellow book thats a bit sad,
especially as numbers can drop in years to come. but if the garden was
their passion I suppose its their money! personally I think I would have
trouble enjoying it if I knew that much money had been spent, for me its
doing or growing it myself thats the attraction, there are so many more
important things you could do with that sort of money. But it may be they
had huge problems to have a garden like large retaining walls or
renovations of old structures in which case it may have been unavoidable
expense
When I see these stupendous gardens that I envy I often wonder how they
got them that way and how they maintain them. My poor thing takes all my
spare time and a fair about of money, yet I don't think anyone would
come to view unless I paid them. £40,000 does not surprise, how much
more will they need to keep it up to scratch?

On Sat, 9 Aug 2008 12:01:26 +0100, K wrote:

Kate's question on garden and house evaluation reminded me of a
programme I caught 5 minutes of, on preparing a garden for the Yellow
Book Scheme.

I may have got it completely wrong, but what it seemed to be saying was
that the owner's purpose was to raise money for charity through the
Yellow Book scheme, and was delighted in their first year's open day to
have raised £3000.

Earlier the presenter had made the comment that the owner had "invested"
£40,000 in the garden.

The thought sprang to mind "wouldn't it have been more cost effective to
have simply given £40,000 to charity?" Though they now have a garden to
enjoy, and some increase in value of the house, and the pleasure of
sharing their garden with other people. I dunno. I suppose the 14th Open
Day they will start to make a "profit" in monetary terms, and all the
other things do have a value.

If it is the programme I think it is then yes £40k was quoted. However
the couple had just had a new house custom built which must have cost
millions. In their former property then had had a garden which they had
opened for the Yellow Book for many years and were hoping their new
garden would also get in the book.

I would agree that £40k is a stupendous amount of cash but given their
apparent wealth it's probably all relative. It was clear the lady of the
house was both an enthusiastic gardener and loved having been in the
NGS. Their new garden was accepted on the basis that people would see
it develop over the years which I guess would create interest for
people.

Having visited a decent number of NGS gardens over the months there are
undoubtedly people who do have the cash to make truly wonderful
"demonstration" gardens. They're good to look at but I tend to find
that those gardens that have been honed and developed through sheer
determination, hard work and enthusiasm tend to be that bit better.

--
Paul C

Paul Corfield writes

I would agree that £40k is a stupendous amount of cash but given their
apparent wealth it's probably all relative.

I suppose I was comparing it, not with its value to them, but with their
declared aim of raising money for charity - spending £40k to persuade
other people to give £3k a year to charity compared with simply giving
the £40k to charity in the first place.

But I think that's probably too mechanistic a view on my part. I should
probably accept that the main aim is to get a good garden, with the
charity bit as a by-product.

Having visited a decent number of NGS gardens over the months there are
undoubtedly people who do have the cash to make truly wonderful
"demonstration" gardens. They're good to look at but I tend to find
that those gardens that have been honed and developed through sheer
determination, hard work and enthusiasm tend to be that bit better.

Yes. They have the soul and the spirit of the creator in them.
--
Kay