In February 2025 we hold our monthly meeting on Zoom. The weather can often be poor and it is also a chance for us to share our meeting with Tendershoots. In exchange we are entitled to attend the talks that are arranged by other clubs in the Tendershoots network. This is the website address for Tendershoots if you would like to see what else is on offer: https://tendershoots.uk/ Check out the ‘Programme’ tab. Some talks are recorded and available to watch on catch-up.
Guy Deakins was our speaker who spoke to us on the topic of ‘Shroedinger’s Garden’. Shroedinger came up with the philosophy of ‘If you can’t see something it doesn’t exist’. Guy himself had studied psychology but now lectures at Capel Manor Horticultural College (our nearest open garden which many of you have probably visited). Guy’s talk was about the psychology of gardens, how we look at a garden and what we see because of the way we look at the garden.
He told us that different parts of our brains have different memory stores and we see how we are taught to see so we use preconceptions. The famous historic landscape gardener, Capability Brown arranged spaces to get us to see his gardens as landscapes, but they were an illusion. Gertrude Jekyll, another famous garden designer worked with Lutyens. He used mathematics to design the structure of gardens while Jekyll who apparently was very short sighted and could hardly see further than a few inches in front of her used tone and colour to design the planting.
Some psychological thoughts on gardens. If you are trying to hide something e.g. an ugly wall, then you are denying the reality. You should try and work with it (we may not agree). Japenese gardens are designed for the soul and the rocks are there as they are said to have a soul The more unhappy you feel the more you will seek unhappiness whereas in reverse if you feel happy you seek more happiness.
It was a very different type of talk. Thought provoking. It may make you look at your garden or any garden you visit in a different way.
