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.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

"Sacha" wrote in message ...

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.
--

Sacha
==============================================

My wife who has both been gardening for over 50 years AND visited
Christopher Lloyd AND met him, agrees totally with your posting and as she
said "Found the comments on Christopher Lloyd's sexuality 'jarring'"

Mike

---------------------------------------------------------------
www.friendsofshanklintheatre.co.uk

On Tue, 08 Apr 2014 23:10:21 +0100, 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.

I enjoyed the programme very much also, although I thought the demise of
the rose garden really too bad. Newer/different is not always better,
even though I certainly understand the desire to constantly reinvent.

I suppose this change in the garden underscores Lloyd's 2 periods, one
introverted and dominated by his mother, the other outgoing and free.
While I agree that bringing up his sexual orientation was unnecessary and
perhaps a bit distasteful, I thought the writers were underscoring how
the prejudices of the day further encouraged his introversion. As well
they might have, given disgraceful cases like that of Alan Turing.

-E

--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

On 2014-04-09 12:06:21 +0000, Emery Davis said:

On Tue, 08 Apr 2014 23:10:21 +0100, 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.

I enjoyed the programme very much also, although I thought the demise of
the rose garden really too bad. Newer/different is not always better,
even though I certainly understand the desire to constantly reinvent.

Admittedly it was an old photo but I thought the rose garden looked a
bit dreary and unimaginative. Would it have been out of sight of the
house, do you know? But what was put in its place was exciting and
interesting, imo.

I suppose this change in the garden underscores Lloyd's 2 periods, one
introverted and dominated by his mother, the other outgoing and free.
While I agree that bringing up his sexual orientation was unnecessary and
perhaps a bit distasteful, I thought the writers were underscoring how
the prejudices of the day further encouraged his introversion. As well
they might have, given disgraceful cases like that of Alan Turing.

-E

Yes, it's possible that was the reason but I still feel that it was
unnecessary. Had he been heterosexual, I doubt they'd have mentioned it
or said "Amazingly after such an upbringing, he wasn't gay"! I suppose
I'm just a bit jaded with the fact that it appears impossible to read
or hear about someone these days without also hearing of their sexual
inclination. I'm about as interested in that as I am in their oral
hygiene!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On Wed, 09 Apr 2014 17:29:43 +0100, Sacha wrote:


I suppose this change in the garden underscores Lloyd's 2 periods, one
introverted and dominated by his mother, the other outgoing and free.
While I agree that bringing up his sexual orientation was unnecessary
and perhaps a bit distasteful, I thought the writers were underscoring
how the prejudices of the day further encouraged his introversion. As
well they might have, given disgraceful cases like that of Alan Turing.

-E

Yes, it's possible that was the reason but I still feel that it was
unnecessary. Had he been heterosexual, I doubt they'd have mentioned it
or said "Amazingly after such an upbringing, he wasn't gay"! I suppose
I'm just a bit jaded with the fact that it appears impossible to read or
hear about someone these days without also hearing of their sexual
inclination.
I'm about as interested in that as I am in their oral hygiene!

Yes it fails the old reversal test as you say! Now, if they had thought
to mention that it was only thanks to a cure for halitosis that Lloyd
came out of his shell...

One thing they didn't discuss that I would have found very interesting is
the maintenance/over-wintering cycle for meadow garden areas. Do they
cut and rake or bale? Harrow? Etc. We have a meadow in the maple
collection area with cut grass paths, which I mulch and leave lying
usually in August. It looks great in spring and summer but a mess in
fall. We do collect it up before winter so that the meadow is green.

-E



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

On 10/04/2014 19:57, Emery Davis wrote:
On Wed, 09 Apr 2014 17:29:43 +0100, Sacha wrote:


I suppose this change in the garden underscores Lloyd's 2 periods, one
introverted and dominated by his mother, the other outgoing and free.
While I agree that bringing up his sexual orientation was unnecessary
and perhaps a bit distasteful, I thought the writers were underscoring
how the prejudices of the day further encouraged his introversion. As
well they might have, given disgraceful cases like that of Alan Turing.

-E

Yes, it's possible that was the reason but I still feel that it was
unnecessary. Had he been heterosexual, I doubt they'd have mentioned it
or said "Amazingly after such an upbringing, he wasn't gay"! I suppose
I'm just a bit jaded with the fact that it appears impossible to read or
hear about someone these days without also hearing of their sexual
inclination.
I'm about as interested in that as I am in their oral hygiene!

Yes it fails the old reversal test as you say! Now, if they had thought
to mention that it was only thanks to a cure for halitosis that Lloyd
came out of his shell...

One thing they didn't discuss that I would have found very interesting is
the maintenance/over-wintering cycle for meadow garden areas. Do they
cut and rake or bale? Harrow? Etc. We have a meadow in the maple
collection area with cut grass paths, which I mulch and leave lying
usually in August. It looks great in spring and summer but a mess in
fall. We do collect it up before winter so that the meadow is green.


I seem to remember that for a summer flowering meadow you cut it in
early spring and for a spring flowering meadow you cut it in the
autumn, leave it down for a few days for the seeds to fall out, then
remove it as a hay crop.

In article ,
says...

One thing they didn't discuss that I would have found very interesting is
the maintenance/over-wintering cycle for meadow garden areas. Do they
cut and rake or bale? Harrow? Etc.

They mentioned taking the hay off and spreading the hay where they want
to extend the wildflowers.


We have a meadow in the maple
collection area with cut grass paths, which I mulch and leave lying
usually in August. It looks great in spring and summer but a mess in
fall. We do collect it up before winter so that the meadow is green.

I used to cut outs at the end of July/beginning of August, rake off
the hay and spread it under trees as mulch. It would be 3 ft deep to
start but the hens very rapidly broke it down.

You really need to keep reducing the fertility of coarser grasses.
I noticed that at Dixter the wildflower meadow contained a very high
concentration of yellow rattle, which is supposed to have exactly that
effect on grasses.

http://www.grasslands-trust.org/sowi...-yellow-rattle

Janet

"Emery Davis" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 09 Apr 2014 17:29:43 +0100, Sacha wrote:


I suppose this change in the garden underscores Lloyd's 2 periods, one
introverted and dominated by his mother, the other outgoing and free.
While I agree that bringing up his sexual orientation was unnecessary
and perhaps a bit distasteful, I thought the writers were underscoring
how the prejudices of the day further encouraged his introversion. As
well they might have, given disgraceful cases like that of Alan Turing.

-E

Yes, it's possible that was the reason but I still feel that it was
unnecessary. Had he been heterosexual, I doubt they'd have mentioned it
or said "Amazingly after such an upbringing, he wasn't gay"! I suppose
I'm just a bit jaded with the fact that it appears impossible to read or
hear about someone these days without also hearing of their sexual
inclination.
I'm about as interested in that as I am in their oral hygiene!

Yes it fails the old reversal test as you say! Now, if they had thought
to mention that it was only thanks to a cure for halitosis that Lloyd
came out of his shell...

One thing they didn't discuss that I would have found very interesting is
the maintenance/over-wintering cycle for meadow garden areas. Do they
cut and rake or bale? Harrow? Etc. We have a meadow in the maple
collection area with cut grass paths, which I mulch and leave lying
usually in August. It looks great in spring and summer but a mess in
fall. We do collect it up before winter so that the meadow is green.

-E


They do a hay cut at the end of summer, then its all hand raked piled and
removed, they have dozens of people doing it, I think some of the hay is
spread on areas they are turning over to meadow elsewhere, what they do with
the rest I can't remember, but I do remember Christopher Lloyd telling me it
was done by hand and Fergus years later telling me it still was.


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

On Fri, 11 Apr 2014 00:22:26 +0100, Janet wrote:

In article ,
says...

One thing they didn't discuss that I would have found very interesting
is the maintenance/over-wintering cycle for meadow garden areas. Do
they cut and rake or bale? Harrow? Etc.

They mentioned taking the hay off and spreading the hay where they want
to extend the wildflowers.

Must have missed it.

[]
You really need to keep reducing the fertility of coarser grasses.
I noticed that at Dixter the wildflower meadow contained a very high
concentration of yellow rattle, which is supposed to have exactly that
effect on grasses.

http://www.grasslands-trust.org/sowi...-yellow-rattle


Interesting site, thanks. The meadow blooms very nicely at the mo but
rattle sounds like a possible idea. I hate the idea of harrowing in fall
though, too much else to do.

-E
--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

On Fri, 11 Apr 2014 09:40:07 +0100, Charlie Pridham wrote:

[]

They do a hay cut at the end of summer, then its all hand raked piled
and removed, they have dozens of people doing it, I think some of the
hay is spread on areas they are turning over to meadow elsewhere, what
they do with the rest I can't remember, but I do remember Christopher
Lloyd telling me it was done by hand and Fergus years later telling me
it still was.

Thanks for this, and to David and Janet also. "Dozens of people" sounds
like what it would take; a resource I'm unlikely to have available sadly!
I suppose I could look into a really small baler, but it seems like a lot
of expense and extra work...

cheers,

-E



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

On 11/04/2014 12:56, Emery Davis wrote:
On Fri, 11 Apr 2014 09:40:07 +0100, Charlie Pridham wrote:

[]

They do a hay cut at the end of summer, then its all hand raked piled
and removed, they have dozens of people doing it, I think some of the
hay is spread on areas they are turning over to meadow elsewhere, what
they do with the rest I can't remember, but I do remember Christopher
Lloyd telling me it was done by hand and Fergus years later telling me
it still was.

Thanks for this, and to David and Janet also. "Dozens of people" sounds
like what it would take; a resource I'm unlikely to have available sadly!
I suppose I could look into a really small baler, but it seems like a lot
of expense and extra work...

cheers,

-E



How much area are you talking about?

On Fri, 11 Apr 2014 13:09:36 +0100, David Hill wrote:

How much area are you talking about?

It's not quite 2 acres, but there are no straight lines between plantings
so very slow work on the tractor. And quite tight in places.

--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

In article ,
says...

On Fri, 11 Apr 2014 13:09:36 +0100, David Hill wrote:

How much area are you talking about?

It's not quite 2 acres, but there are no straight lines between plantings
so very slow work on the tractor. And quite tight in places.

I was cutting that much myself, using an industrial brush cutter with
a metal blade... with practice the hay falls in windrows ready for
collection.The collecting and removing is harder than the cutting.

Janet

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.

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. Fergus, who now runs the
garden is married heterosexually. Better than anyone els, he knows
what that garden means, what it 'does', how it works but is not gay.
He's just amazingly good at what he does, as was Mr Lloyd. I don't
think anyone's sexuality has anything to do with me or anyone else, be
it their garden, their drawing room, their bathroom or their toothpaste
of choice. It is totally irrelevant in terms of 'need to know'. All we
'need to know' is that they garden well or not. I detest the fact that
sexuality seems to come into every report, conversation or summation
nowadays. Interesting that you spell my name with the female variant,
however, while I am a hetero female who doesn't. ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon