Happy 60th Birthday Garden Dreams

For someone approaching their 60th birthday in 2016, life in Britain is opening a whole new raft of opportunities. What 60th birthday garden dreams might fill the head of someone who has their 60th birthday in the weeks after the referendum?

As it happens, I was able to ask my best beloved, so again this is a blog inspired by those around me but which has some gardening ideas and thoughts to interest a wider audience. Will the post “Brexit” days from the end of June change a mind-set of a person who has spent most of their life as a member of the European Union?

Old enough to be interested and vocal but not old enough to vote when the referendum to join European Economic Community (EEC) happened in 1975.

Born five years after the Festival of Britain, a post war celebration that was itself held on the anniversary of the Great Exhibition of 1851, our 60 year old would seem to live in a very different world now from that in which they were born.

Before we head for the garden perspective, lets recap some of the non-gardening events that led to 1956 being referred to as the Year that Changed the World:-

The Suez Crisis
The first British Nuclear Power Station begins production at Calder Hall
Switzerland won the first Eurovision song contest. I wonder whether UK will be in 2017 Eurovision?
Elvis Presley has his first hit with “Heartbreak Hotel”
Premium Bonds introduced in England to encourage saving – and they’re still going
The Summer Olympics were held in Melbourne, Australia
The Winter Olympic Games were held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
“Diamonds Are Forever” by Ian Fleming was published. This fact is of interest to my 60 year old, he likes the James Bond novels; he would have been reading them at the time of voting to join Europe.
And in this computer and internet age, would you believe that the first hard disk (5MB) was invented by IBM?

So what were British gardens like in 1956?

There was still much interest in growing your own vegetables. During the Second World War, the Dig for Victory campaign had been essential in keeping Britons fed.

Woolworths had a key role in the campaign and their garden department continued to provide the British public with seeds, flower bulbs, shrubs, roses, garden tools and more during the 1950s and 1960s and beyond.

As well as vegetables, greenhouses, the great British lawn, rose gardens and spring bedding displays in beautifully manicured front gardens were popular. Rock gardens created when the adjoining pond was dug out are another feature remembered from birthday boy’s childhood.

So too are greenhouse shelves with space for a collection of cacti (see video link below). He’s still fond of cacti and succulents, and has a few, although his collection gets a bit crowded out by seedlings and cuttings belonging to yours truly.

The which comment does lead us onto the favourite plants and garden styles of my birthday boy (aka the Other Half). I’d be interested to know how many other 60 year olds relate to his choices, an interesting mix of traditional, almost 1950s plants, with a more contemporary and environmental selection.

Rose bushes

Not climbing roses so much as standard roses and hybrid teas; but they must have a proper rose scent. So long as it’s not yellow, colour isn’t important. He likes to see them laid out in a separate, formal rose garden under planted with Lavender and Nepeta (catmint).

Fuchsia

The red and purple flowered Fuchsia magellanica, a frequent occupant of gardens is the shrub in question. A favourite from childhood, and a reliable deciduous shrub for a shadier corner of your garden which will flower all summer.

Foxgloves

Digitalis purpurea, the British native species foxglove, is the favourite. From childhood memories of putting the flower ‘gloves’ onto small fingers; to walks in the countryside and enjoying the bees disappearing in to the flowers whilst sitting in the garden after work. Tall flower spikes that you could measure your growth against in your parent’s garden every birthday – now perhaps you could do that with your children and grandchildren?

Ornamental Dwarf Conifers

On the face of it, a very traditional choice, with visions of central borders in lawns; dwarf conifers such as the Juniperus horizontalis make an exciting and unusual component to contemporary planting schemes. The blue foliage and fan like spread of the branches can be a counterfoil to tall ornamental grasses…which leads us on to

Ornamental Grasses

In particular, Stipa gigantea. Although Miscanthus zebrensis (zebra grass) and Stipa tenuissima are also faves.

Cactus, Cacti, Succulents

Arid desert lovers that need to be kept indoors in the British climate, of course. But also hardier succulent types such as Sempervirens (houseleeks) to have in the rock garden. And huge aloes that remind him of spaghetti westerns at the children’s Saturday cinema.

Big Old Trees

Dark green Yew, Taxus baccata, with red berries; Ancient Oak, Quercus rubra, are particular favourites. He respects the hundreds of years it has taken then to grow, and the habitat they provide for small creatures. This 60 year old is one who plants trees not just for his own pleasure, but for those who follow after.

Scented Pelargoniums

Now I’m not sure how much this choice is due to scented Pelargoniums being one of my favourite plants. The relaxing background fragrance of aromatic foliage fills our conservatory year round, and that he does enjoy.

Garden Styles and 60th Birthday Garden Dreams

A garden in the height of summer is his ideal. Full to bursting flower borders; a rose garden filled with bees; evergreen hedges a perfect foil to the bright colours. A cottage garden style with lush planting.

Add a winding path to lead to a view of the landscape beyond, with a comfortable seat to encourage time to be spent gazing at nature, and listening to the rustling of ornamental grasses in the breeze.

And another winding path that leads to an arbour or gazebo, surrounded by scented climbers – honeysuckle, for preference – a quiet place in which to do some writing for the next historical play.

No fairy lights, no artificial lights at all, the secret garden of dusk with tall white tobacco plants (Nicotiana) attracting moths with their scent is what he would prefer to sit in.

A densely planted garden, wildlife friendly, the lawn is there to provide space for bird feeders and for entertaining friends; the emphasis is on a diverse range of plants.

and finally …

So there you have a personal choice for some 60th birthday garden dreams. It’s interesting for a man who loves home grown produce and home cooking that he didn’t mention any edible crops as favourites – not even strawberries. It seems that part of the garden is most definitely my responsibility – although if I were to grow more strawberries, he won’t complain…

There are more birthday, anniversary and wedding inspired ideas in the blog links below to get you thinking about plants and features for your own garden.

And if you need some help designing a flower border or a whole new garden, do please get in touch.

Or perhaps you would like help with learning more about your garden and gardening? Why not ask about our bespoke Gardening Lessons, where your classroom is actually your own garden. We can help you learn gardening basics, carry out worm and other experiments and also show you how to plan an ornamental border or kitchen garden. They make a good birthday present!

And for further gardening advice and inspiration, check out our monthly Tipsheet – You could come and find us on Instagram Pinterest and Facebook too.