Class, Taste and Gardening - A Taste for Gardening: Classed and Gendered Practices - page 113

was not a bid to make life any easier since it simply meant he would open the way
to work the soil more regularly. He could, 'go in and be able to hoe and weed…I can
walk in now quite easily and I'm able to weed from either side.'
Yet despite gardening regimes which required the constant repetition of the
circadian rhythms of routine tasks such as weeding, gardening was described as a
pleasure by all the working-class gardeners. All said that gardening was 'enjoyable',
and 'rewarding' and gave a 'sense of pleasure'. Unsurprisingly only one woman
said that gardening was 'relaxing'. In relation to this, comments, in particular praise
from passers-by, are given a great deal of significance and indeed contribute highly
to the pleasure that gardening offers them. What working-class people think of their
publicly visible space is extremely important to them. Pleasure comes from knowing
that when their gardens are seen by others they meet approval.
Doris : And I don't let any weeds grow. One of my friends says (laughs) oh I'd better
(looking at cassette recorder) he says, “I always look to see if I can find any Doris and I
can never find a weed in your garden” (laughs). He uses strong language but I won't say
what he says … and so I think caring for it makes a difference.
Millie and Jack have a shared garden and they recognise that as retired residents they
have more time to garden than the people who work full-time in their block. The
praise that they get for taking full responsibility is clearly very important to them,
'It's nice when people admire it and I mean the people that live here as well, always
comment on how nice its looking … they appreciate the work that we've put into
it.' Keith is embarrassed when he admits that praise is very significant for him, 'I
know it might sound vain but I like t' compliments at end of t' day.' Indeed for these
gardeners there was a self-conscious recognition on their part that a well-kept garden
signifies something to passers-by about the up-keep of the house that accompanies
it.
Jack : I think, I've always thought this with houses, if the garden's nice, you're guaranteed
the house is nice and tidy…You know if you go and look at a house and the garden has a
kitchen sink in it, you have an idea about what it's going to look like inside.
Indeed for others a tidy garden even says something about the people who keep it.
Keith : It's an extension of the house, really, and the people who live in it…I think if
people can see your garden's tidy then they think your house is tidy. I mean it might seem
cosmetic but really you know really at the end of the day if you reflect that you're capable
of looking after plants and various bits and pieces then you're capable of doing things, you
know, animals and anything, you know.
Lisa : So it says something about you as a person?
Keith : Oh yes, it does, you know, it shows you're caring to some degree.
These comments show that these people see and invest in their gardens as a means
of signalling their capability, their worth as people. These comments also reveal an
awareness of the judgement of others and alongside that a knowledge that they might