Can we garden? Yes we can!
Anne Wareham loves criticism, so I’m sure she won’t mind me saying that I think she is wrong about several things. Her question is: why can’t we see gardening as an art form, and subject it to the same level of criticism? I agree, to a point, that large gardens open to a paying public should be criticised in this way, but I also sense that there is a distaste of amateur gardeners and a snobbery hidden behind the question.
So what if we take her argument and apply it to one of the other arts, perhaps one that is regularly reviewed in the way she wishes gardens were? What about ceramics? Imagine if every third person in your street got themselves a potters wheel and a kiln and started moulding pots and sculptures. It would be wonderful; it would show a great flowering of creativity. I imagine many professional ceramicists would be delighted too, and there might be a few TV series commissioned showing tips on how to get different textures or the best effects with glazes.
Read more at www.guardian.co.uk
