91Èȱ¬

Ìý

The Gardeners' Question Time team are taking a quick look at some gardening objects today in the potting shed. We've already had a range of horticultural objects added to the site.

Here Bob Flowerdew takes a look at a few that have caught his eye - plus he gives us his thoughts on the gardening objects that the team have kindly added. So over to Bob:

The A History of the World site is full of fascinating, and more everyday objects.Ìý

One that caught my eye is the model of the indigo factory, which appeared in the 2008 Plants and People exhibition at Kew. A model unfortunately cannot convey the most impressive thing about these places: apparently, the stench from indigo manufacture was so great that many refused to approach, let alone visit places where the trade was carried on. The rotting smell of decay, as the plants were turned to dye, was said to be truly stomach churning.

The Yorkshire Museum of Farming’s hand-pushed seed drill looks hard work. Would not a hand-pulled drill have been easier? Incidentally, Jethro Tull’s seed drill was only part of his method, as it allowed a horse-drawn multiple hoe to be used for weeding. It was this that made him so successful - although when the French Academy came they took away only the drill and not the hoe; not perceiving that both were intrinsic to the tool’s functionality.

Within the Gardener’s Question Time section of this virtual museum, I love Bunny’s mud hut - though I’m not sure if it will pass muster for long, given our damp climate. Then again my ancient ancestors lived in similar ones.

Ìý

Chris Beardshaw nominated the lawnmower – and no history of gardening would be complete without it. It’s a device that allowed the common people to have their turf as neat as the great gardens without the need for skill with a scythe -Ìý if only they were still all such push models instead of the infernal, noisey, motorised ones today.

Stroud Museum’s entry claims to be the oldest lawnmower - but you know I reckon I’ve got one not quite as new, well at least not in quite as good condition.

Eric Robson also entered a lawnmower of sorts, an Allen Scythe, a kind of giant powered shaver on wheels, a dangerous device even if working properly, and which he reckons a prime example of inbuilt unreliability. I wish I had a photo of my old Vauxhall Viva, it was even more unreliable. Indeed I never got three consecutive uneventful trips out of it, then it was stolen – and,of course, broke down so the thieves had to abandon it.

Conversely, Peter Gibbs's seed dibber is about as reliable a tool as one can find- and one that people continually re-invent and believe unique. The dock lifter was somewhat rustic in manufacture, I have another as old and better made, and a modern one that is all space frame and looks like something from a space expedition. Ann Swithinbanks’ book about Kew is a good choice, as this is the pinnacle of horticultural gardens without which we would be much impoverished.

I rather thought Matthew Biggs's mattock showed a history of hard work - I hope he doesn’t have to do too much with it.

Obviously many objects get discarded and found in gardens such as the decorated clay pipe, the coldstream cap star, a silver penny and even a sundial - though I suppose that lived there anyway.

I’m not sure I should even countenance mentioning the first garden gnome from Lamport hall - not totally tasteless itself it sadly has been followed by too many and too much similar tat since.

One object I was envious of is the steam soil steriliser, I have real use for that, though I’d also really really like that Hove amber cup, gorgeous. And most bizarre of all the objects my trawl threw up: the Lloyds Bank turd from York.

No, not another vitriolic quip, quite justifiably, at the heads of bankers, but an actual turd, thought to be ancient Viking. Now I wonder what value would they give that on the Antiques Roadshow?

What do you think? Add a comment