Partway through last year when (thanks to tinyjo and her lovely mum) I started going to gardening shows I began to notice what for want of a better word might be called a mainstream narrative of gardening. Of course, it's multi-threaded, but there's a theme runs through it, and that theme is predominantly posh voices, home counties, old money, country living and city elegance. There's a counterculture, but it is quite conservative itself; white dreadlocks, grim-jawed permaculture, magic compost water, stewed goosegrass for supper. This isn't to say that either of these things don't have their advantages; topiary comes from the former narrative and backgarden beekeeping from the latter and both these things are awesome. But neither of them are me, and what I am doesn't seem to be very visible. The closest thing to the style of gardening I mean was probably the Iceberg Garden I saw twice last year in different locations. There's a sort of defiant non-traditionalism about it, and it incorporates -- grows over -- the modern world rather than locking it behind a wall of bucolic conservatism or goodlifeish eco-denialism.

And that's pretty much how I got started on The Punk Gardener (neon colours warning, not that that should surprise anyone who's seen my back garden). Syndicated as thepunkgardener for those who wish to substitute their own layouts and colour choices. I'm enjoying the luxury of just talking about one thing, but also aware that it's probably detracting from here a bit. So, in the best spirit of the oldest extant social networking site, help me LJ:

- Would it be intrusive if the Punk Gardener out-takes appeared here linked to there?
- Are there gardens (or gardening websites) you think I should be looking at?
- Does anyone know of any gardening writers/opinionists you think I would like?
- What do you think about gardening narratives? Am I missing a trick?