It’s the kind of news that would make many eco-sceptics shiver: a garden full of weeds has been awarded a gold medal by the Royal Horticultural Society. In July, the people of Derbyshire-based farm Sunart Fields were as surprised as many of the attendees of Tatton Flower Show when they were handed the gong for a border that brimmed with things people usually pull out of their flowerbeds; among them, the controversial ragwort – a yellow flower beloved by pollinators but feared by horse owners.
After decades of inspiring the nation with pristine roses, immaculate edging and enormous, spotless vegetables, is this move from the RHS the latest in an attempt to appeal to the new, organic-loving generation of millennials or simply a much-needed turning point in how we view horticultural beauty?
It’s probably somewhere in-between: the fact is, “weeds”, as many see them, have been creeping into our gardens, in some cases by stealth, for years. And we’re all much better off for it.
Admittedly, I’m speaking as an organic gardener who happens to be a (geriatric) millennial….
