Wednesday 28 April 2010

Garden vs Yard

In the states, we refer to our green area around our homes as the yard. We played wiffle ball (a version of American baseball played with plastic bats and a plastic ball with holes) in the back yard when I was a child. We could never play any sort of ball in the garden... we would crush everything! My nephew (as I at his age) disliked the grass in the back yard. In the UK children may play cricket or football (that is soccer for my American followers) in the back yard, but they would have no grass under their feet if the were in a yard. If there were grass in the back area around their home it would be called a garden. Now in the States, a garden is an area of ones yard dedicated to growing fruits, vegetables, herbs and the likes. One may also have a flower garden in their yard. These "gardens" are typically sectioned off with a decorative border. My Great-Grandfather had an extensive vegetable garden whereas my family now only grows tomatoes with a few flower beds (small flower gardens). In the UK, many people have an allotment. This is a plot of land outside of their garden (yard) where they can have an extensive vegetable patch. This week I have tended to my garden. We mowed the lawn, trimmed back the pampas grass, weeded the cobblestone path (thank you friends) re-potted the pear tree (fingers crossed it survived the winter), basil, and parsley. I also purchased some tulips(Queen of the Night) to replant in the fall. I am hoping to grow tomatoes and maybe some zucchini or eggplant as well. I must acclimate myself to the temperate climate. So much for tropical zone 9, I was just starting to get good at it too. I hope everyone is straight now with the new definitions!! Any questions please ask!

2 comments:

  1. I was reading a story to Brian last night and got to explain the garden/yard difference...also what dinner/tea/and supper are. I love British authors!

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  2. Yes, it is amazing how different one language can be!

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