The Gardening thread.....

[Marco]

A garden brings peace to the soul.....I don’t know who first said that but it’s true.

I couldn't agree more! I'm also fortunate never to have known any different. I grew up in a lovely garden, as my dad's a keen gardener, and since then I've always tried to maintain nice ones of my own

The other important benefit is that it provides a little patch of earth to soak up the rain and to give birds and insects somewhere safe to call home, in an otherwise desert of concrete and tarmac. In our terrace row of six houses ours is the only one that has a garden and is not concrete wall2wall![/FONT]

That's a great point, and so true!

I'm a country person at heart [love natural scenery], and so 'concrete jungles/deserts' are a complete anathema!

Marco.

[GrahamS]

Concrete is the most prolific destructive material on earth.

[struth]

Concrete is the most prolific destructive material on earth.

well, humans make it and want it so i guess we are worse.. its a notion that covering more and more of the planet in it, and thus reducing nature is in fact causing the issues they are trying to protect themselves from, but they just want the money i guess.. catch 22... reduce populations and have more natural ways of stopping catestrophes

[walpurgis]

Humans are the problem, not materials. I suggest a cull.

[Marco]

well, humans make it and want it so i guess we are worse.. its a notion that covering more and more of the planet in it, and thus reducing nature is in fact causing the issues they are trying to protect themselves from, but they just want the money i guess.. catch 22... reduce populations and have more natural ways of stopping catestrophes

It's also down to the 'greed for gold' of building contractors, and councils giving them planning permission [via convenient 'backhanders'] to create more and more 'concrete jungles'... That unscrupulous practice should be stopped, with more of an emphasis placed on preserving nature and building houses in sympathy with the existing natural environment.

Unfortunately it's also the case that the demands of modern life make people predisposed to living in rather 'grey' urban sprawls, jammed together like sardines, or in some soulless, out of town modern housing complex, where every house is identical and simply looks like an architect's drawing superimposed onto a landscape, as opposed to something more 'real', which actually belongs there.

The goal appears to be to squeeze together as many such 'dwellings' as possible, like glorified dolls houses, on every square inch of land available, in order to maximise profit, as opposed to building properties with a little character and individuality [and incorporating a sense of space into their design], and which promotes in those who occupy them a genuine sense of well-being and a feeling of LIVING, rather than merely existing... Unfortunately, 'plastic houses' breed 'plastic lives'.

Older properties, of a similar cost (or often less) in my experience tend to offer more, certainly in terms of the above, if you're willing to put in some effort to refurbish them, if necessary, and maintain them. However, too many folks now simply can't be arsed and would rather just walk into somewhere that's 'job done', even if it's about as stimulating to live there as the magnolia-painted walls it's adorned with

Marco.

[struth]

It's also down to the 'greed for gold' of building contractors, and councils giving them planning permission [via convenient 'backhanders'] to create more and more 'concrete jungles'... That unscrupulous practice should be stopped, with more of an emphasis placed on preserving nature and building houses in sympathy with the existing natural environment.

Unfortunately it's also the case that the demands of modern life make people predisposed to living in rather 'grey' urban sprawls, jammed together like sardines, or in some soulless, out of town modern housing complex, where every house is identical and simply looks like an architect's drawing superimposed onto a landscape, as opposed to something more 'real', which actually belongs there.

The goal appears to be to squeeze together as many such 'dwellings' as possible, like glorified dolls houses, on every square inch of land available, in order to maximise profit, as opposed to building properties with a little character and individuality [and incorporating in them a sense of space], and which promotes in those who occupy them a genuine sense of well-being and a feeling of LIVING, rather than merely existing... Unfortunately, 'plastic houses' breed 'plastic lives'.

Older properties, of a similar cost (or often less) in my experience tend to offer more, certainly in terms of the above, if you're willing to put in some effort to refurbish them, if necessary, and maintain them. However, too many folks now simply can't be arsed and would rather just walk into somewhere that's 'job done', even if it's about as stimulating to live there as the magnolia-painted walls it's adorned with

Marco.

Yes very true, but its an impossible ask to get soulful housing for all.. A/ there is too much money already invested, and B/ not enough room for soulful housing or enough money for most to buy them.
Only way to reduce cost of houses is to reduce demand,and thats difficult.

[Marco]

Yup, totally... Just stating the (rather sad) facts of modern life!

Marco.

[InThe Sticks]

One of the hundred or so roses that are rambling around my patio area.

[GrahamS]

Beautiful!

[GrahamS]

However, too many folks now simply can't be arsed and would rather just walk into somewhere that's 'job done', even if it's about as stimulating to live there as the magnolia-painted walls it's adorned with

Marco.

There are a number of these "new builds" in our area. The people who buy these "houses" (the lucky ones) all have children within their first year of occupancy. In 15 years time those children will be teenagers with nowhere to go. In 20 years time, those new build suburbs will be slums, and the houses will all have been taken over by county councils, for social housing stock.