Men and woman have very different perceptions when it comes to gardening. Instead of me (as a woman) making assumptions, I decided to approach a few guys and ask them what their needs are when it comes to the garden. Here is what they had to say.

Men have a very practical and functional approach when it comes to gardening. They don’t want any fancy frills and delicate little flowers but they do want it to look neat and beautiful. Many men pay a lot of attention to their lawns. A young man and his two sons explained to me that they love playing games on the lawn. These games often involve some sort of ball and they do not want any delicate flowers that will break if the ball drops into the flower bed.

The son (about 12 years of age), was very insistent that he likes big spiky plants like Aloes and Agaves. So definitely not too many flowers, but lots and lots of trees. Big trees where you can recline when the summer sun comes scorching down. Apparently men also has a secret way of fertilizing these trees when the woman folk are not around.

A braai is a must. Along with that some comfortable seating and surfaces where you can put your drinks.

Men like to surround themselves with things that resonate with them. It might be a hobby like a darts board or a pool table. It might also be trophies of their accomplishments, interesting artefacts and other elements that has a personal meaning. A fisherman friend of mine has big glass fishing net buoys that hang from the roof of his den. He has a pool table, a little bar area and a dart board. All his braai tools are hung next to his braai which he proudly built himself.

He lives right on the beach and goes swimming most days. For that reason he has installed a shower on his lawn where he can wash off the salty water. He made a rack on the garden wall where he can store his canoe and surfboard.

The focus of a garden for a man is entertainment. They take care to have a sound system of sorts where they can play their favourite music while enjoying games of their choice.

Most men agree that a water feature adds a bit of flair to the men’s garden space.

For the most part, men like the garden to look good and at the same time take sort of care of itself. For the man this garden should be his garden castle where he is the king. It must be a place where he can be creative and enjoy fun times with his friends and family.