Garden design in the 60's 70's and 80's

 


Hi I've just joined Gardenbanter to try and solve a problem of garden
styles in
the 60's 70's and 80's. There is lots of info on Georgian or
Victorian garden
design (And even the fifties) but nothing on more
recent years. All I can
remember of gardens back then were swings and
bikes not varieties of plants. Can
anyone please help identify what
varieties of plants were fashionable and how
they would have been used,
shrubbery, rockery hedge etc.

Cheers  GUY




--
Guy Pinder

 


Asking that sort of question in an ng which has international following
makes a sensible response a bit hard.  I can tell you what they were like in
Australia during each of those periods but I can't imagine that knowing that
Australian native plant gardens were all the rage in the 70s and
unsuccessful largely because at that time there was limited knowledge of the
size to which some of the plants would get to as they matured probably
wouldn't be too useful to you.

I suggest you head off to a second hand book dealer because every one I have
ever been to has a LOT of gardening books for those decades.  I go regularly
to replace my locally produced gardening book from the 60s.

 



 With Farml's advice in mind I'd look at the Time-life series of
gardening by James Underwood Crockett.  This is circa  1972. There is a
similar series circa 1960 but I can't find it or remember the details.

<http://tinyurl.com/yasmyqo>

  Bill

--

Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

 


'Bill[_13_ Wrote:

rISdnVu74KecxFDXnZ2dnUVZ_uKdnZ2d@westnet.com.au,

Hi, Guy, As a boy growing up in the fifties, gardens were still very
much
influenced by the war years with every back garden in the land
still growing veg
and every front lawn surrounded by roses with a
hydrangea in the corner and
clumps of very traditional perennials like,
solidago, pinks, cranesbill
geranium, asters, chrysanthemum and dahlias
etc. etc. My involvement with
gardening started with me working at my
local garden centre in Somerset in 1966
when I remember a far greater
proportion of deciduous shrubs than are popular
today ; Forsythia,
Weigelia (as it was spelt then) Lilac, spirea and really
shrubs which
were grown for their flowers. Of course, it was these early garden
centres that were responsible for introducing the general public to
more unusual
evergreen shrubs that up until then had only been known by
a very small section
of society. So slowly as we drifted towards the
70's, the average man had not
only more leisure time but had the money
to spend on plants and became less
reliant on what was grown at home.
In the late 60's    everybody wanted a
rockery, alpines were very
popular, as were dwarf conifers especially
'Boulevard' and 'Rheingold'.
By now containerisation was the norm, albeit those
horrid floppy
bags,but it did mean that for the first time plants were available
all
the year and not just in the traditional dormant period. In the 70's I
moved
to Cornwall and worked initially as a landscape gardener and then
again for a
garden centre. By now (mid 70's) slab patios were in vogue,
and to go on them
garden furniture (Iroko for the rich, plastic for the
poor) rockeries now
incorporated waterfalls and ponds, the first of the
conservatories were
appearing, albeit initially for the majority only
lean-to alluminium greenhouses
(which were totally unsuitable to sit in
due to at the best condensation and at
the worst leakage) Curved flowing
borders by now had replaced straight lines and
natural slate, especially
slate crazy paving was all the rage. Lots of garden
centres by now had
sprung up so everybody had access to an ever increasing range
of mainly
evergreen shrubs, the traditional deciduous species now only selling
when thay were in flower. As we moved through the eighties, the garden
became
'the outdoor room' with barbeques now gracing the patio. There
were still the
die-hard veg growers but the 'organic' revolution was
really taking hold.
Television was now playing its part in driving
trends (this really took off in
the early nineties with programmes like
ground force etc.) and  the garden
centres were now becoming outdoor
activity centres. Car boot sales became big
business and from the early
nineties (to date) is where I have been selling
plants. So enough
waffle, not really very much about plants !
Best wishes Lannerman.




--
lannerman

 


Thats Brilliant! I was just after a feel of how gardens changed over the
years
and what trends were about when. This is very helpful cheers  GUY

lannerman;866662 Wrote:

were still very

hydrangea in the corner and clumps of very traditional perennials like,

solidago, pinks, cranesbill geranium, asters, chrysanthemum and dahlias

etc. My involvement with gardening started with me working at my

centre in Somerset in 1966 when I remember a far greater

deciduous shrubs than are popular today ; Forsythia,

then) Lilac, spirea and really shrubs which

course, it was these early garden

introducing the general public to

then had only been known by

drifted towards the

had the money

popular, as were dwarf conifers especially 'Boulevard' and 'Rheingold'.

containerisation was the norm, albeit those horrid floppy

that for the first time plants were available all

traditional dormant period. In the 70's I

initially as a landscape gardener and then

(mid 70's) slab patios were in vogue,

(Iroko for the rich, plastic for the

waterfalls and ponds, the first of the

initially for the majority only

totally unsuitable to sit in

leakage) Curved flowing

slate, especially

by now had

when thay were in flower. As we moved through the eighties, the garden

'the outdoor room' with barbeques now gracing the patio. There

die-hard veg growers but the 'organic' revolution was

Television was now playing its part in driving

the early nineties with programmes like

centres were now becoming outdoor

business and from the early

plants. So enough

Guy Pinder