The Poetry of Gardens ~ An ode to the romantics, and the eternal importance of connecting with nature
By Tabi Jackson Gee
@tabijgee_gardens
Poems can be enjoyed in many ways. The medium I use most nowadays - purists look away - is Instagram.
It has become an amazing tool for sharing written work we admire, with poets like Mary Oliver and Maya Angelou enjoying a renaissance of interest in their work as new audiences have found them and loved them, and new poets have capitalised on this instant way to connect with readers.
It may sound crude on paper but in reality there is a literal, physical, delight to discovering something new that you enjoy and admire, online or off. And nature - just like poetry - can provoke such feelings within the viewer. An emotional response, a connection. Something that helps us make sense of the world, or find our place within it.
Perhaps that’s why the same things that draw us to gardening - the sense of space, time to reflect and engage with the world around us - are similar to what draw us to poetry. It’s a form of emotional expression, something we don’t have much of an outlet for in our busy modern lives. Perhaps that’s why many poets have gardened, and many gardeners write poetry. Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage, Keats’ Hampstead home - they themselves follow in a long lineage of English pastoral havens that served as muses for some of the great early poets.
And now I have a confession to make; as a garden designer and one time English Literature student I have a predetermined love for anything that brings the two together. And about ten years ago, well before I had even considered garden design as a career, I was drawn to the Romantics, even choosing them as the topic for my dissertation.
I was drawn to their emotive writing, the characterisation of natural phenomena, the dalliances with the gothic and the supernatural. Looking back now I think I was trying, in my own way, to find a connection with nature. And ultimately, after a career in journalism, that was what led me to garden design too.
When we garden we converse with nature, and it provides a wild and abundant source of inspiration - no wonder the romantics were so preoccupied with it. Wordsworth, Keats, Coleridge, Wollstonecraft - they all were inspired and overawed by the magnanimous power of the natural world. “So will I build my altar in the fields, And the blue sky my fretted dome shall be” writes Coleridge in ‘To Nature.’
Poetry and gardening are also connected in their observation of the seasons. When we garden we are acutely aware of the rhythms of the world. And similarly in poetry writers ruminate on the changing scenes around them and the never ending march of time. “Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,” writes Keats in ‘To Autumn.’
No matter our inner state, nature carries on unknowingly. And it also gives us an opportunity to work with death; plants come and go, saplings grow, seedheads fall. Nature is ambivalent to us, but we can see ourselves more clearly when we are in it. And it is the rare pastime that allows you to mourn and be joyful in equal measure.
There is, in modern terms, a hugely mindful element to working with the land. With time to think, or dream - and physically work at the same time - it’s not surprising that studies continue to prove how valuable gardening can be for our mental health. Throughout lockdown many of us have found solace in connecting with something bigger than ourselves.
But this extends further than personal benefit. Gardens are now a must for many looking for a new home. And thanks to this revived enjoyment of nature we’re more engaged with the world around us; with birdsong, with plants, with animals, starting to notice what’s there - which will hopefully lead to us protecting what’s disappearing.
The key again is connection. We need to have an emotional connection with nature in order to care about it. It’s this emotion that the romantics were portraying 200 years ago, and in the age of climate emergency, it still matters today.
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And if you’re looking for a daily dose of nature and poetry, here are five of the best to follow:
Forde Abbey (@fordeabbey) - with outstanding photography ranging from the vibrant to the atmospheric and haunting, Forde Abbey share beautiful images from their gardens as well as delightful poetic musings about the changes in season.
Marian Boswall (@marianboswall) - one of my all time favourite Landscape Architects, Marian’s gentle, ever creative approach to design is reflected in her Instagram account where she shares images of her gardens alongside prose and poetry by the likes of Woolf, TS Eliot, Rumi et al.
Posh Pedlar (@poshpedlar) - beautiful images with perfectly matched poetic and literary quotes - and a refreshing dash of humour!
Foxglove and Ivy (@foxglove_and_ivy) - a must-follow for stunning seasonal images frequently accompanied with inspiring poetic snippets.
Quinton Rectory Garden (@quintonrectorygarden) - and last but not least, the glorious Quinton Rectory Garden. Follow for the thoughtful, poignant poetry and stick around to enjoy much more, from faerie trails to yoga and seasonal recipes.