Houses of Lincolnshire

On our recent trip to the UK, in between enjoying my family and the luxury of hugs and in person chats - we walked. On our walks we passed some beautiful buildings and gardens tended with care. I began to see some parallels in the world of gardening and houses I would like to share.

I have always loved the homes in the UK, but I did not fully appreciate them until I saw a house being built in the US with plywood and drywall instead of  brick and mortar of the houses I was used to. I was shocked - weren't houses built to last ? After all a house is probably the biggest purchase you will make in your life.  Apparently they are not according to a study conducted in October 2021, the most common age of a home in the US is between 20-31 years. (1) As we get ready to celebrate the 246th year of the USA on July 4th 2022, there are currently only 3000 homes in the whole of America which are over 250 years old.

In Europe houses often pass from generation to generation. If they are 'purchased' they are often bought for their charm and history, their ability to 'weather the weather' - to be handed down. Acquired for their durability and beauty rather than just location and convenience.

Bricks and stone are the roots of the building; they symbolize stability and endurance. Just like roots, bricks fix the home to the ground, making it stable not transient. Bricks are placed strategically; interlocked in a design where the mortar which bonds the brick is never above or below mortar so there is no weakness. The brick or stone shapes are hand placed with thought and care.

Houses made with plywood and baseboard might look good for a while but they are similar to flowers in a vase or annuals on a border. They are not built for endurance like cut flowers, they are arranged for the fleeting admirer. Arranged flowers and annuals stun us for a while, maybe even a season, but it is impossible even with the best care that they will  last long. They soon wilt and lose their purpose. Houses built with resources made to last only fifteen to twenty years will also provide cheap but impractical investments.

Brick and stone houses are more like perennials; plants which last longer than one season. Perennials also require care and maintenance; they need to be planted in the right spot in a place with sufficient sun and water with the best soil. They need to be watered in the dry seasons and constantly weeded. But if they have this supervision perennials will thrive and last, season after season.

Brick houses also need care and maintenance. They require a person the 'architect' to find the right spot and design for the terrain, a 'builder' to carefully build with well-chosen supplies and then a dedicated 'owner' to maintain and repair, season after season; generation after generation. Brick houses and perennials need guardians not just fleeting admirers to survive.

There are more homes in England today which were built before 1900, than any other era.  (2) Period homes are popular and still going strong.

Looking at the style of the house is one way to tell how old the home is;  Tudor houses  with thatch or timber were built between 1485 and 1603 (3)

This home is a beautiful mosaic of bricks; multiple textures and shapes. There is certainly a story to tell in the patchwork of stone. Practicality and history collide. Necessity and determination. This house is a perennial it has been built with care and cared for through the generations.

Even newer houses in the UK are built with a purpose and that is to last. Lawns are mown with pride and care, hedges and trees planted and trimmed forming a perfectly green frame to the carefully placed masonry and both perennials and annuals planted in the borders.

Homes have been so important to us for the last few years. Rather than a building which we flitter in and out of between waking and work, work and sleep, sometimes a burden to keep up with cleaning and maintenance; they have become homes again. Many of us spent extra time in the garden enjoying the projects or simply relaxing in nature. We spent extra time in the kitchen finding new recipes and adapting old ones as the shelves were not as full as usual.  Our homes became the workplace, the school, our gym, the meeting place during zoom calls with friends or coworkers. They even became the shop as home delivery services replaced visiting the store. 

As we continue to plant in our gardens let us plant perennials to be enjoyed from one season to another and annuals to add color and variety. But as we continue to build homes let us consider building with brick and stone, in a manner made to last, so we can enjoy them from generation to generation. So we leave the next generation of home owners with perennial homes of beauty and durability. Homes pre-loved and nurtured instead of buildings built for the fleeting moment; now left wilted and irreparable.  

• https://www.statista.com/statistics/1042458/home-age-usa/

• http://www.historicdoors.co.uk/blog/englands-building-age-infographic/

• https://www.propertysolvers.co.uk/blog/when-was-my-house-built/ - this article is a great resource for finding out more about the age and style of houses in the United Kingdom.