We usually do not look like glamour kids while we are working, but, what if? …Selfie by Louise peacock.

The Glam Gardeners Project

What if Real Gardeners got dressed up for the job?

One of my garden assistants was joking with me one day as to how very scruffy we look while out gardening, and how surprised clients might be if we showed up all dolled up. Her idea was that we should be wearing really outrageous outfits, but when we decided to turn her idea into a photoshoot, she refused to be caught dead in some of the outfits I had gotten for the shoot. Without her for moral support, I wasn’t going to do it either …so ….

I thought some of these outfits would really work, showing a complete parody of how we are. Photos from the online catalogue at Yandy

Eventually we decided to get a couple of models that Bruce (my partner/photographer/set designer) knew, along with a good friend of ours who is a clothing designer (Eva Mocek) and wanted to get some of her outfits photographed.

I went to a goodwill store and picked up some crazy shoes and sunglasses and a funky watering can.

Some of the silly sunglasses and a funky watering can. Photo by Louise Peacock

Some of the incredibly silly shoes we used! Photos by Louise Peacock

We used the shoes and the sunglasses and Eva Mocek’s funky clothes.

Lux Aeterna and Araina Nespiak pretending to be fancy gardeners. Photo by Bruce M. Walker

Lux Aeterna. Photo by Bruce M. Walker

Araina Nespiak looking dangerous with garden shears. Photo by Bruce M. Walker

Lux Aeterna and Araina Nespiak hamming it up. Photo by Bruce M. Walker

Anique had come along to be an assistant to Bruce and got into the spirit with some toned down “fancy” gardening duds. Our friend, Peter Domanski, studio owner also loves to fool around and got right into the idea.

Our best attempt at looking dolled up. I’m far left. In the middle is Anique. On the far right is Peter Domanski who actually owns the studio and just joined in for fun. Photo by Bruce M. Walker

The well connected gardeners. Peter and Anique fooling around with cell phones. photo by Bruce M Walker.

Anique and Peter fooling around on the set. Photos by Bruce M Walker

American Gothic, updated. Anique and Peter could not resist striking a classic pose. Photo by Bruce M. Walker

We had fun doing the shoot, although — including the initial set up and the actual shoot — it was a very long day.

The Studio had an actual chalkboard* on one wall, and we engaged our artistic neighbour, Julie Lo Tauro, to freehand draw some flowery looking pictures on that wall. You can see the results in the photo above.

We brought along some fake plants from home and some actual garden tools.

*The chalkboard is a whole other story. It was the brainchild of Bruce Walker.

Project Credits

• Photographer: Bruce M. Walker
• Creative Director: Louise Peacock
• Set design: Bruce M. Walker and Louise Peacock
• Studio: Studio by House
• Models: Araina Nespiak and Lux Aeterna
• Designer, Wardrobe: Eva Mocek
• Makeup and Hair: Araina Nespiak
• Wall art: Julie Lo Tauro
• Assistant: Anique
• Guest model: Peter Domanski.

How we REALLY look when we are out working in our client gardens.