Do you know what the difference is between your garden and the garden of someone who is rich?
There are obvious differences because of what money can buy. Money can buy land measured in acres, exotic plants from around the world, full-time landscape crews, one of a kind garden art, good design by the best landscape architects, and water features that dazzle.
But the real difference between your garden and the garden of someone who is rich is the rich people name their gardens.
Technically, the rich people name their entire estates, which includes both the house or castle or manor house, plus the surrounding gardens. But we identify with those estate names as the names of great gardens. We read about gardens like Great Dixter, Sissinghurst, Wisley in Great Britain, to name just a few.
Rich people in the United States name their estates, too. Who has been to Winterthur or Oldfields or Blithewold, all estate gardens of people who had money and therefore, for some reason, named them.
I've had three gardens, and I'll admit that this one that I am in now is the first one that I gave a name to, and I gave it the name long before I knew what a blog was or decided to start up a blog. The other gardens I have had I generally refer to by the name of the subdivision they were in. But that's not too imaginative, it's not unique, and it doesn't work for people whose gardens aren't in named subdivsions.
In case you haven't figured it out, the name of my current garden is May Dreams Gardens, or I guess more properly it should be May Dreams House and Gardens because I do have a house here, but it is secondary to the garden. My blog header above tells you how I picked that name.
So, have you given your garden a name? "My Garden", by the way, doesn't count, so you'll need to come up with something better than that.
If you have name for your garden, leave a comment and let us know what it is.
If you don't have a name for your garden, and you'd like some ideas on a name so your garden can be like the rich people's gardens, leave a comment and I'm sure someone will have some suggetions.
Really, if you are a gardener, you are putting a lot of time and sweat, if not money, into your garden. Doesn't it deserve its own name, so that someday it can take its place in history?
Comments
Oh, and indeed, I have been to Winterthur. Oh my goodness, what a wonderful, wonderful place. I WILL go back there again! (And to nearby Longwood Gardens, too!)yhbpsb
Zanthan was the name of our website long before it was the name of our garden. My husband grew up in England in a house which is still identified by its name, rather than a number--as are many houses and cottages there, not just rich peoples'. I thought our cottage should have a name too.
We toyed with Mosquito Marsh, Possum Gully, and Dillo Run but they were too cute. Besides our website hosts other blogs unrelated to gardening or our house. So we went with something completely abstract and imaginary.
Greetings from Purdyville, population 12. Wish you were here.
What was the question? Oh yeah, my garden is named Mary's Garden, which is kind of like "My Garden" except that I have a sign that says so. My son made it out of the copper pipe that plumbers use (it was handy that he's a plumber). It's about 3 feet long and a foot high and has aged to a nice bronzy green.
As to a name I have named our place. Greenbow. It would take too much space to explain the name. My husband thought we should name our place Weedy Wallow.Hmmmmm
Where I used to live was named Green Isle due to its situation. On a knoll surrounded by forest and other properties.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Rusty in Miami... Excellent point! If you name your car, you definitely need to name your garden.
Kylee... Yes, you can do better with a name!
M Sinclair Stevens... Thanks for the additional info on naming of gardens/houses in England. All of our gardens here deserve names.
Leslie... Looking forward to reading about whatever name you come up with.
Pam/digging... I agree, you don't want la-di-dah or cutesy for your garden, but will it really take you two more years to come up with a name?
Kathy... Purdyville works for me, or maybe you could refer to the gardens only as "Purdyville Gardens".
Heather... hmmmm maybe you should come up with some other name, especially if there is no heather in your garden?
LostRoses... Well, it sounds like your sign just tells who owns the garden. Maybe you could indulge us with a name for "Mary's Garden" that isn't too cutesy?
Pam/digging... That's a thought, but maybe it should just be the name of the vegetable garden... "Garden of Eatin' at May Dreams Gardens".
Layanee... describe your garden and its main characteristics on your blog and I bet you get a few suggestions, like Left Mitten Gardens?
Colleen... Thanks, I like the name of my garden. You ought to describe your garden on your blog and we can all make some suggetions for name.
Entangled... Tangled Branches sounds perfect.
Eleanor... Your garden is going to be called Scarlet Oak Gardens because you have a large scarlet oak tree in the front yard!
Flora Gardener... I like it! Tangly Cottage conjures up quite a interesting image of a garden.
OldRoses... Rose Cottage sounds like a wonderful place!
Mr. MacGregor's Daughter... I like Squirrelhaven!
Anonymous... Come out, come out, whoever you are! Greenbow sounds like a wondeful, tranquil garden. Much better than WeedyWallow!
Annie in Austin... Can't wait to read your post about your garden name!
Thanks all for the comments and names. If you want help naming your garden, post about it on your blog and I'm sure you'll get some good suggestions.
Carol at May Dreams Gardens
I have never thought about naming our place. I am not proud and would consider stealing a good one from the list!!
:)
My name post is written and on the blog.
Annie
Nevertheless, I think I've got one. But you're going to have to wait a few weeks until I get the name painted on a sign. It's my next project . . . right after I paint that bench purple.
" A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet ... " so I call mine
"Sweet Carolyn's Garden. "
There are lots of old time cutesy names way out here in the 'old country'. It's the type of place where everything has a name, including the roads named for the people who lived on 'em (and some still do, including us!).
He's insisted to me that our place is 'Notchwood' (obvious reasons)and I like 'Meadowbrook' or 'Meadowcreek' (also obvious reasons) so much better, though it is much more boring.
And so, we sit, years later, still at a nameless stalemate. :)
Anyone has a better idea let me know/
We also considered calling the place "prairie point" but then that is the name of a different place in my mind.
A lot of people around here call our place "the old Middlebrook place." If an oldtimer asks where we live and we give that reply the chances are good they will know where we live.
I'm musing over the name "Nonesuch" for this new garden, as it is above the house on a hillside formed out of gigantic boulders. I had no idea (nonesuch idea?) it would be built in such a difficult spot!