IST British Culture Blog

How the British Do Gardening

Gardening is an increasingly popular British hobby, reflected by the selection of gardening magazines available in newsagents and the number of gardening programmes on TV. Your average British person could probably list at least one or two ‘celebrity’ TV gardeners. British gardens range from pretty flowers and shrubs to practical plots to grow vegetables and fruits to feed the family but there is a whole culture around gardening, it’s not just about the plants!

Gardens are often peaceful places where people can tend to their plants and de-stress from the day. It’s common - with so many terraced houses in the UK - to have an adjoining garden with your neighbour. Along with gardening is the practise of chatting to neighbours over the garden fence, often gossiping about local news and other neighbours. This was brought to the TV screens of the nation in this satirical advert for the Post Office in 1990: 

Along with gardening is the related pastime of visiting the local garden centre to buy plants, seeds, pots and garden furniture. In addition to this most garden centres have a café and a shop selling local food, gifts. It’s considered by many a nice relaxing way to spend the weekend to have a wander around the garden centre followed by a nice cup of tea and a cake in the café.

Those who don’t have their own garden or want more outdoor space sometimes have an allotment. An allotment is a small piece of land that a person rents to grow fruit and vegetables and sometimes flowers. Traditionally it was retired men who had allotments: in a popular British soap opera there was a character who was always off to the allotment; a place to have some peace and quiet in his garden shed and escape from the dramas of family life. These days however allotments are popular with men and women of all ages; families and friends get involved too. A plot can be tended by the whole family and sometimes passed down through the generations. As there are usually many of these plots together, the people who rent them often get to know one another and develop a close little community where they swap seeds, give each other tips and advice for growing and share the produce they grow if they have too much of one thing. In the video on this webpage, a father and son explain why their allotments are so important to them: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17857858

Experiencing British Gardens

The University’s Ness Botanic Gardens are an example of a traditional English country garden and entry is free to University of Liverpool students: http://www.nessgardens.org.uk/the-gardens/http://www.nessgardens.org.uk/the-gardens/

There are also famous ‘Flower Shows’ across the country each summer with competitions for the best garden designs and individual plants, fruits and vegetables. Visiting a Flower Show during your time in the UK would be a typically British thing to do! As well as beautiful gardens, there is usually lots of food, music, entertainment and cookery demonstrations.

Tatton Park Flower Show 22-26 July 2015: https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-flower-show-tatton-park

Southport Flower Show 20-23 August 2015: http://www.southportflowershow.co.uk/ Southport is only a short train journey from Liverpool. This year’s theme is ‘China’!

The Liverpool Guild of Students has its own roof garden above the Guild shop? If you enjoy gardening or want to give it a go for the first time here are some details of how to become a volunteer: http://www.liverpoolguild.org/main-menu/volunteer/across-campus  It’s a great way to learn skills, grow British fruits, vegetables and herbs and make friends with international and British students.

How do British gardens differ from those in your country? What is the culture around gardening back home? Do people in your family garden? Is it something mainly done for enjoyment or to produce food for the family? We’d love to hear your comments about the differences/similarities between our cultures.