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Janet · 13-04-2014, 01:21 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

In article ,
says...

On 2014-04-12 14:13:11 +0000, Paul Luton said:

On 08/04/2014 23:10, Sacha wrote:
Finally and at last, a gardening programme for grown ups - experienced
gardeners or not - BBC4's British Gardens In Time. If tonight's episode
is anything to go by, it's a winner and a keeper. Nobody is teaching or
preaching here but they are *explaining* how a garden came into being,
what the thinking and the person behind it was about. We enjoyed it
enormously and imo, it's inspirational. The only jarring note was the
comment on Christopher Lloyd's sexual inclinations which are of
absolutely no importance whatsoever in the context of his garden. This
is shaping up to be very good indeed.

Sasha , those of us who enjoy your contributions will have no doubts
about the direction of your "sexual inclinations" unless you have been
using an elaborate code. The programme looked at Great Dixter in terms
of Christopher Lloyd's character. Being gay is one significant aspect
of that. As the programmes develop I would bet that there will be no
doubt of the heterosexuality of most of the garden makers.

You think his garden was somehow affected or defined by his sexuality
- or vice versa? I can't agree with that.

You might as well argue that his relationship with his repressive mother
had no effect.

The program was trying to set his part in the creation of that garden
in some kind of historic context. When consensual sex between adult men
was still a criminal offence that "dared not speak its name", that had
some effect on how homosexuals could publically assert their identity.
Lloyd was almost 50 before homosexuality was decriminalised. I don't
think it's purely coincidental his garden style expressed an
irrepressible, flamboyantly defiant rejection of convention.

Janet.