Gardens of Disney

I admit it, I went to Disney World. Without children.

But I ended up in Orlando for reasons other than a Disney World visit, and you quickly learn that there isn't much to do in Orlando other than visit retirement communities and Disney. You are forced to go to one or the other, and I am not ready for retirement in hurricane swampland (Tropical Depression Barry came through while I was there.)

So what is the Minnesota gardener to do but to evaluate and photograph the gardens of Disney?

Gardens at Epcot Center

"It's a small world after all", and the Disney gardeners have a way of making you feel very small. Everything is about massive size, perfect blooms in sequence, no weeds, straight rows and outrageous color. You could not achieve this look at home even if you tried (so don't!)

And yet, I was inspired. It reminded me that I do have individuality: Disney could never attempt to garden like I do either – pots everywhere, beds half-weeded and abandoned, fruit half-eaten by birds and squirrels, the lawn going to seed in places because I don't have an edger.

With all the color and shapes, Disney's gardens lack personality: gardens by committee and crew. And yet, there doesn't seem to be any humans involved – no gardeners in sight, no messes (do they come out in the night with spotlights?)

Mechanical, just like the “Small World” ride which is supposed to highlight diversity, but really screams homogenization and stereotype, and, well, robots.

And you realize that Disney's view of the world IS really small: it can't grasp a big diverse individualized world.

It can't understand me.

Gardens are just extensions of personality, and I have one.