Glam Rock Lives
I am a child of the 1970s - too young to appreciate the heady days of the 1960s. Compared to today the 1970s was rather brash and uncompromising, Gene Hunt and the Quattro was the norm, although in my case living in Manchester it was a VW Beetle, Ford Escort or Capri, platform shoes for men, kipper ties and glam rock.
In the landscape world amenity planting such as Berberis, Aucuba, Norway Maple and Cotoneaster were in fashion. Cotoneaster - at its best the David Bowie of the glam rock landscape world and at its worst Sweet (bet you can’t remember them) however today a much ridiculed and maligned shrub. Look at these beauties which are currently brightening up my journey to the office and hopefully will brighten up your New Year.
For those amongst the conservation fraternity rooted to native species and local provenance these plants keep the birds fed in cold winters with the added bonus of looking wonderful against winter native plant tracery. Long live Sweet, Roxy Music,
T Rex, Slade… Now where did I put the satin jump suit and headband? Rock Cot ‘Cornubia’