Follies

My mother lived alone on 97 acres in Upstate New York. It was an old farmhouse that had been added onto over the years and generations. On that property, there had once been a barn, but it had fallen or been torn down years before, leaving a cracking concrete slab, some steps, and a silo.

One of her many dreams was to transform the space into a folly, complete with special plantings, tables and chairs, and a spiral staircase to the top of the silo, where she would use a telescope to look at the stars. That particular dream never materialized, but we can use her idea to inspire some ideas of our own.

The remains of an old barn site (Kate Russell)

Looking up a silo (Kate Russell)

What is a folly?

The word folly refers to someone lacking in good sense. Architecturally, a folly is an outlandish building or other structure built primarily for decoration. These structures are more extravagant than would normally be seen in a garden.

Beech Hill Hotel Folly (John C) CC BY0-SA 2.0

Follies were first created in the 16th and 17th centuries but became popular in the 18th century. People added decorative Roman temples, pyramids, and medieval castles to their gardens and surrounded these structures with a wide variety of plants. Follies were often named after their creator, as in so-and-so’s folly. Follies have certain characteristics that can guide you in creating your own folly:

• Follies tend to be ornamental, but even if they have a true purpose, it is usually disguised.
• Follies are buildings or other structures, as opposed to yard art.
• Follies are frequently towers.
• Follies are usually eccentric.
• Follies are intentionally fake.
• The sole purpose of a folly is enjoyment.

Folly in the woods (Robin Webster) CC BY-SA 2.0

The word can also mean “favorite abode” or “delight” and that’s the definition I want us to focus on today. My garden is my favorite abode (except for sleeping) and I certainly get a lot of delight from my garden. That being said, most of us are in no position to build a useless tower in our backyards. But that doesn’t mean we can’t repurpose the concept of a folly into something we can create.

Garden spaces

If you love gardening, you probably spend a lot of time outside, in your landscape. But we often get so caught up in the day-to-day chores and tasks that we forget about the art and whimsy of gardening.

Lizard in a lighthouse (Kate Russell)

Each area of your landscape has its own set of characteristics: wind and sun exposure, soil structure, moisture levels, and plants that thrive. What if you were to look at each of those spaces with an eye to creating a folly, or adding a touch of silliness? That’s one of the nicest things about gardening – there are no rules. We can create whatever we’re willing to invest the time in

The Facetower (Forbidden Corner) CC BY-SA 4.0

One of those characteristics, the “fakeness” of follies, opens up several possibilities to the home gardener. You may not be able to recreate a full-scale stone castle next to your tomato plants, but nothing says you can’t use that curb-scored iron headboard or plastic kiddie climbing toy to create a folly of your own.

If you could build any sort of folly in your yard, what would it be? Personally, I’d love one of those Baba Yaga houses with the chicken legs, but that’s just me.