"Flippin' deck
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/st...231770,00.html
Jane Perrone delights in the demise of a certain garden fad, and has
some advice on putting right its inherent wrongs

Friday June 4, 2004

A blackbird on the wing, taking in an aerial view of an average UK
street, has probably noticed a colour shift in the past five years.
Our once green and pleasant land has been invaded by a hideous scourge
that poses a threat to all that is good about gardening: wooden
decking.

A story in today's Telegraph details how a retired couple from
Northumberland objected when their neighbour turned his garden into a
"wooden fortress" with the addition of a "giant deck". The story
pushed all the right buttons for the average Telegraph reader -
feuding neighbours, a former Royal Navy petty officer, an antique
dealer, local planning officers and listed property. I found my own
buttons pushed, however, by the idea that anyone could believe that
covering over a perfectly good bit of garden with a large wooden
structure where one is likely to spend, oh, hours a year enjoying the
sunshine is anything other than an expensive folly.

Decking is at the heart of what I call the "Ground Force approach" to
gardening, the idea - promulgated by the likes of the garden makeover
show's Charlie Dimmock - that the way to the perfect garden is a trip
to the nearest out-of-town DIY megastore for an expensive pile of wood
and a violent shade of woodstain. The result? A sterile environment
that is useless for garden wildlife, becomes a slippery hazard after a
few months of neglect in our watery climate and is often out of scale
with its surroundings.

The trouble is I am an allotment gardener at heart, a breed resigned
to the ranks of the terminally uncool by EastEnders' downtrodden man
of the soil, Arthur Fowler. Gardens shouldn't be viewed simply as an
"an extra room" that can undergo a miraculous lifestyle makeover akin
to slapping on a few coats of misty buff on the walls or buying a new
sofa.

Good gardens evolve. They aren't constructed overnight. When I see a
garden, my thoughts turn to how many plants I could pack in to provide
both colour and food for my kitchen and for garden visitors like bees
and butterflies. I know it will take months to see my ideas through
from preparing the soil, to sowing seed, planting out, weeding and
watering. There's nothing productive or beautiful about a stretch of
bleak wood - it's good for neither herb nor hedgehog.

The good news is that decking - like all fads - is quickly joining
laminate flooring, inflatable chairs and luminous socks in the ranks
of fashion has-beens.

If you've already fallen under the costly spell of Ground Force, think
about redeeming yourself and your garden by renting an allotment
(average cost: £10-20 a year), digging a wildlife pond (average cost:
about a tenner) or planting a wildflower meadow (average cost: a few
packets of seeds). The decking backlash has begun."

AMEN!

"martin" wrote in message
...
"Flippin' deck
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/st...231770,00.html
Jane Perrone delights in the demise of a certain garden fad, and has
some advice on putting right its inherent wrongs

Friday June 4, 2004

A blackbird on the wing, taking in an aerial view of an average UK
street, has probably noticed a colour shift in the past five years.
Our once green and pleasant land has been invaded by a hideous scourge
that poses a threat to all that is good about gardening: wooden
decking.

A story in today's Telegraph details how a retired couple from
Northumberland objected when their neighbour turned his garden into a
"wooden fortress" with the addition of a "giant deck". The story
pushed all the right buttons for the average Telegraph reader -
feuding neighbours, a former Royal Navy petty officer, an antique
dealer, local planning officers and listed property. I found my own
buttons pushed, however, by the idea that anyone could believe that
covering over a perfectly good bit of garden with a large wooden
structure where one is likely to spend, oh, hours a year enjoying the
sunshine is anything other than an expensive folly.

Decking is at the heart of what I call the "Ground Force approach" to
gardening, the idea - promulgated by the likes of the garden makeover
show's Charlie Dimmock - that the way to the perfect garden is a trip
to the nearest out-of-town DIY megastore for an expensive pile of wood
and a violent shade of woodstain. The result? A sterile environment
that is useless for garden wildlife, becomes a slippery hazard after a
few months of neglect in our watery climate and is often out of scale
with its surroundings.

The trouble is I am an allotment gardener at heart, a breed resigned
to the ranks of the terminally uncool by EastEnders' downtrodden man
of the soil, Arthur Fowler. Gardens shouldn't be viewed simply as an
"an extra room" that can undergo a miraculous lifestyle makeover akin
to slapping on a few coats of misty buff on the walls or buying a new
sofa.

Good gardens evolve. They aren't constructed overnight. When I see a
garden, my thoughts turn to how many plants I could pack in to provide
both colour and food for my kitchen and for garden visitors like bees
and butterflies. I know it will take months to see my ideas through
from preparing the soil, to sowing seed, planting out, weeding and
watering. There's nothing productive or beautiful about a stretch of
bleak wood - it's good for neither herb nor hedgehog.

The good news is that decking - like all fads - is quickly joining
laminate flooring, inflatable chairs and luminous socks in the ranks
of fashion has-beens.

If you've already fallen under the costly spell of Ground Force, think
about redeeming yourself and your garden by renting an allotment
(average cost: £10-20 a year), digging a wildlife pond (average cost:
about a tenner) or planting a wildflower meadow (average cost: a few
packets of seeds). The decking backlash has begun."

AMEN!

Most people find it quite a shock to be told just how much the materials
will cost. Then they are even more amazed to find I'm quoting cheaper then
they can find.
However, aside from that, I note in some other paper today, or yesterday,
(hence not sure which paper, but either the Times, or independent.) that the
gardener gardens of the past have become an endangered species. I survey
form whicks (spelling??) showed the number of gardens now used for fruit/veg
arte less than 1 in 10.
Decking, water features and (I think) out of town supermarkets were given
as possible reasons.

Patrick

martin wrote:
: "Flippin' deck
: http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/st...231770,00.html
: Jane Perrone delights in the demise of a certain garden fad, and has
: some advice on putting right its inherent wrongs
:
: Friday June 4, 2004
:
: A blackbird on the wing, taking in an aerial view of an average UK
: street, has probably noticed a colour shift in the past five years.
: Our once green and pleasant land has been invaded by a hideous scourge
: that poses a threat to all that is good about gardening: wooden
: decking.
:
: A story in today's Telegraph details how a retired couple from
: Northumberland objected when their neighbour turned his garden into a
: "wooden fortress" with the addition of a "giant deck". The story
: pushed all the right buttons for the average Telegraph reader -
: feuding neighbours, a former Royal Navy petty officer, an antique
: dealer, local planning officers and listed property. I found my own
: buttons pushed, however, by the idea that anyone could believe that
: covering over a perfectly good bit of garden with a large wooden
: structure where one is likely to spend, oh, hours a year enjoying the
: sunshine is anything other than an expensive folly.
:
: Decking is at the heart of what I call the "Ground Force approach" to
: gardening, the idea - promulgated by the likes of the garden makeover
: show's Charlie Dimmock - that the way to the perfect garden is a trip
: to the nearest out-of-town DIY megastore for an expensive pile of wood
: and a violent shade of woodstain. The result? A sterile environment
: that is useless for garden wildlife, becomes a slippery hazard after a
: few months of neglect in our watery climate and is often out of scale
: with its surroundings.
:
: The trouble is I am an allotment gardener at heart, a breed resigned
: to the ranks of the terminally uncool by EastEnders' downtrodden man
: of the soil, Arthur Fowler. Gardens shouldn't be viewed simply as an
: "an extra room" that can undergo a miraculous lifestyle makeover akin
: to slapping on a few coats of misty buff on the walls or buying a new
: sofa.
:
: Good gardens evolve. They aren't constructed overnight. When I see a
: garden, my thoughts turn to how many plants I could pack in to provide
: both colour and food for my kitchen and for garden visitors like bees
: and butterflies. I know it will take months to see my ideas through
: from preparing the soil, to sowing seed, planting out, weeding and
: watering. There's nothing productive or beautiful about a stretch of
: bleak wood - it's good for neither herb nor hedgehog.
:
: The good news is that decking - like all fads - is quickly joining
: laminate flooring, inflatable chairs and luminous socks in the ranks
: of fashion has-beens.
:
: If you've already fallen under the costly spell of Ground Force, think
: about redeeming yourself and your garden by renting an allotment
: (average cost: £10-20 a year), digging a wildlife pond (average cost:
: about a tenner) or planting a wildflower meadow (average cost: a few
: packets of seeds). The decking backlash has begun."
:
: AMEN!

Well said

The message
from "Robert" contains these words:
martin wrote:
:
: AMEN!

Well said

Jolly well done you two - about sixty lines of text, followed by a
one-word and a two-word answer.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Robert" contains these words:
martin wrote:
:
: AMEN!

Well said

Jolly well done you two - about sixty lines of text, followed by a
one-word and a two-word answer.



Couldn't agree more. I hope they prune their roses better than they prune
their posts.

--
Regards,
Alan.

Preserve wildlife - Pickle a SQUIRREL to reply.

On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 01:04:03 +0100, "Alan Gabriel"
wrote:


"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
. uk...
The message
from "Robert" contains these words:
martin wrote:
:
: AMEN!

Well said

Jolly well done you two - about sixty lines of text, followed by a
one-word and a two-word answer.



Couldn't agree more. I hope they prune their roses better than they prune
their posts.

Except my "Amen" was in my original post and followed immediately
after my quote from the Guardian.

The message
from martin contains these words:

Couldn't agree more. I hope they prune their roses better than they prune
their posts.

Except my "Amen" was in my original post and followed immediately
after my quote from the Guardian.

Oops! Sorry!

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Anna Kettle wrote:
: On Fri, 04 Jun 2004 19:21:39 +0200, martin wrote:
:
:: "Flippin' deck
:: http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/st...231770,00.html
:: Jane Perrone delights in the demise of a certain garden fad, and has
:: some advice on putting right its inherent wrongs
::
:: Friday June 4, 2004
::
:: A blackbird on the wing, taking in an aerial view of an average UK
:: street, has probably noticed a colour shift in the past five years.
:: Our once green and pleasant land has been invaded by a hideous
:: scourge that poses a threat to all that is good about gardening:
:: wooden decking.
::
:: A story in today's Telegraph details how a retired couple from
:: Northumberland objected when their neighbour turned his garden into a
:: "wooden fortress" with the addition of a "giant deck". The story
:: pushed all the right buttons for the average Telegraph reader -
:: feuding neighbours, a former Royal Navy petty officer, an antique
:: dealer, local planning officers and listed property. I found my own
:: buttons pushed, however, by the idea that anyone could believe that
:: covering over a perfectly good bit of garden with a large wooden
:: structure where one is likely to spend, oh, hours a year enjoying the
:: sunshine is anything other than an expensive folly.
::
:: Decking is at the heart of what I call the "Ground Force approach" to
:: gardening, the idea - promulgated by the likes of the garden makeover
:: show's Charlie Dimmock - that the way to the perfect garden is a trip
:: to the nearest out-of-town DIY megastore for an expensive pile of
:: wood and a violent shade of woodstain. The result? A sterile
:: environment that is useless for garden wildlife, becomes a slippery
:: hazard after a few months of neglect in our watery climate and is
:: often out of scale with its surroundings.
::
:: The trouble is I am an allotment gardener at heart, a breed resigned
:: to the ranks of the terminally uncool by EastEnders' downtrodden man
:: of the soil, Arthur Fowler. Gardens shouldn't be viewed simply as an
:: "an extra room" that can undergo a miraculous lifestyle makeover akin
:: to slapping on a few coats of misty buff on the walls or buying a new
:: sofa.
::
:: Good gardens evolve. They aren't constructed overnight. When I see a
:: garden, my thoughts turn to how many plants I could pack in to
:: provide both colour and food for my kitchen and for garden visitors
:: like bees and butterflies. I know it will take months to see my
:: ideas through from preparing the soil, to sowing seed, planting out,
:: weeding and watering. There's nothing productive or beautiful about
:: a stretch of bleak wood - it's good for neither herb nor hedgehog.
::
:: The good news is that decking - like all fads - is quickly joining
:: laminate flooring, inflatable chairs and luminous socks in the ranks
:: of fashion has-beens.
::
:: If you've already fallen under the costly spell of Ground Force,
:: think about redeeming yourself and your garden by renting an
:: allotment (average cost: £10-20 a year), digging a wildlife pond
:: (average cost: about a tenner) or planting a wildflower meadow
:: (average cost: a few packets of seeds). The decking backlash has
:: begun."
::
:: AMEN!
:
: Tis true. I was visiting the tip on Tuesday and met a man discarding a
: load of decking. Mind you he was dicarding it in favour of a
: conservatory which is hardly wildlife friendly unless you are a red
: spider mite
:
: Anna
:
:
: ~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
: |""""| ~ Plaster conservation and lime plaster repair
: / ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
: |____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

The idiots will be on to you about pruning so look out lol

On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 12:22:45 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

pruned context to protect the guilty

Oops! Sorry!

Go and stand in the corner on the midden with a dunce hat on your head
:-)

The message
from martin contains these words:
On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 12:22:45 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

pruned context to protect the guilty

Oops! Sorry!

Go and stand in the corner on the midden with a dunce hat on your head

Please, Sir, I was wearing Frank's glasses, honest, Sir!

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 16:44:05 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

The message
from martin contains these words:
On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 12:22:45 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

pruned context to protect the guilty

Oops! Sorry!

Go and stand in the corner on the midden with a dunce hat on your head

Please, Sir, I was wearing Frank's glasses, honest, Sir!

I've heard you also drink out of them, when he has his back turned :-)

The message
from "Robert" contains these words:

(snip another long unpruned quoted post)

The idiots will be on to you about pruning so look out lol

Wrong again, Robert. The next idiot-training urg seminar is entitled
"Pest eradication the foolproof way".

Janet.

The message
from martin contains these words:

Please, Sir, I was wearing Frank's glasses, honest, Sir!

I've heard you also drink out of them, when he has his back turned :-)

That might be nearer the mark than you think....

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 23:56:42 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

The message
from martin contains these words:

Please, Sir, I was wearing Frank's glasses, honest, Sir!

I've heard you also drink out of them, when he has his back turned :-)

That might be nearer the mark than you think....

Mark's glasses too :-)

The message
from martin contains these words:
On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 23:56:42 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:
The message
from martin contains these words:

Please, Sir, I was wearing Frank's glasses, honest, Sir!

I've heard you also drink out of them, when he has his back turned :-)

That might be nearer the mark than you think....

Mark's glasses too :-)

Mark's bottle, Frank's glasses.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/