An American man who now lives in the UK with his British wife has shared three big differences he’s noticed when it comes to gardening in both countries and some of them pleasantly surprised him
Many people in various countries across the world enjoy gardening as it allows them to bond with nature and savour the joy of growing their own produce. It can prove therapeutic for many and there’s an array of plants and blooms that can flourish in domestic gardens.
The fundamentals of gardening involve grasping soil composition, selecting appropriate plants according to climate and cultivation conditions, and efficient planting methods. There are certain straightforward tasks that must be carried out in every garden, such as sowing, weeding, watering, pest management and general upkeep, like cutting the grass. But, there are some gardening distinctions depending on the nation. TikTok user @grande_americano is a man from Texas in the US who lives in Suffolk with his British wife.
He offers his followers glimpses into his life in the UK, including how it differs from America and in one of his clips, he discusses how gardening in America contrasts with gardening in the UK.
He then outlined three differences he has observed to share what he has learned with his friends in the US.
1. Brits don’t say ‘yard’ or ‘yard work’
The Texan initially observed that Brits don’t employ use the terms ‘yard’ or ‘yard work’.
He clarified: “Gardening means everything you do in the yard. When I grew up you did yard work, which was mowing, trimming, edging, and a garden was a separate thing.”
He explained that a garden typically means a space for flowers or vegetables, but in Britain, the term “garden” covers the entire outdoor area – what he would call the yard, lawn, and the spots where flowers and vegetables grow.
The expat also discovered that when a Brit mentions having a garden party, they’re actually referring to an event held in the yard
2. The soil is ‘nice’
Moving on, the TikTok creator said: “The second thing is the soil is nice. I did a little bit of gardening today and it was actually somewhat pleasant to be able to pull weeds and dig around and not be hitting rocks after a half inch of top soil, like I would be doing in Texas where I’m from.”
He found that there’s no limestone or dolomite to chip through in his UK garden, unlike in Texas. The American described the soil as “nice, rich dirt.”
3. No ‘weird’ critters in the UK
The final difference he noticed is the lack of “weird critters” commonly found in Texas, such as scorpions or venomous snakes.
He commented: “I did see quite a few spiders and slugs and snails, [I] even saw two newts.”
Despite seeing “plenty of critters wandering around” and “lots of good fishing worms” in the soil, he noticed that they go about “minding their own business.”
The Texan added: “I’ve been told that there are some snakes here in the UK and possibly one viper, one venomous snake but I’ve been told that you’ll be lucky to ever see a snake, much less a poisonous one.”
The American man acknowledged that although he might get used to grumbling about the weather, it is actually the mild climate, along with the moisture and humidity, that produces “such beautiful lush gardens and scenery and countryside that we all really love.”