Are ornamental plants really necessary?

Added on 23 June 2023

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Necessity is the mother of invention. At least that’s what the colonists realized when, as a result of the Boston Tea Party, there was no more tea coming to the colonies. There were few things more important to the English expats than their cuppa, so they had to find a substitute. Lo and behold, from the wild regions of Oswego, NY, they found a reasonable substitute and called it Oswego Tea. We know that plant as Monarda.

Monarda was long known as an herbal plant, used as a balm for stings (thus its common name beebalm), before it was ever established as an ornamental plant. Necessity brought us a beautiful ornamental.

I tell this story to demonstrate that need is often more important than beauty. I also relate this tale to share how times have changed since that infamous party. Today we still need food, drink, and function, but oh my, we really need beauty — and in the case of our trade, we really need gardens.

There is no doubt that function is still important. After all, sales of vegetable seeds, patio vegetables, and home garden veggies continue to be robust, especially among men. A far greater percentage of men who visit my garden ask where my vegetables are, compared to women. As is often said, “If you can’t eat it, what is the point?”