Hi,

I'm currently writing a novel in which the hero's wife is a keen gardener
(probably a member of the RHS etc). Would anyone here be willing to give me
advice as to what she might have in her garden (upper middle class, near
Hampstead) and what she would be doing in it at different seasons? You will
get my thanks and an acknowledgement in the published book.

Thanks

Nick



kick out the spam for email

I'm currently writing a novel in which the hero's wife is a keen gardener
(probably a member of the RHS etc). Would anyone here be willing to give
me
advice as to what she might have in her garden (upper middle class, near
Hampstead)

What she might have in her garden?

Moles digging under the lawns leaving their little piles of earth.

Badgers burrowing under the banks and boundaries. (And the Tennis Court as
my daughter has found)

Foxes making a noise/racket and killing birds/poultry etc and leaving bits
behind.

Leaves etc in the outdoor swimming pool.

People walking across the land who have no right.

Thieves digging up the border hedges/shrubs just after they are planted.
(Daughter and Son in law had £400.00 shrubs pinched within 24 hours of
planting!!! Someone in the know????)

Not 'Everything in the garden is rosy'

Mike

"Bennett Langdon" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I'm currently writing a novel in which the hero's wife is a keen gardener
(probably a member of the RHS etc). Would anyone here be willing to give
me
advice as to what she might have in her garden (upper middle class, near
Hampstead) and what she would be doing in it at different seasons? You
will
get my thanks and an acknowledgement in the published book.

Thanks

Nick

Almost certainly a sizeable greenhouse in which the hero's wife is having
assignations with the gardener, and a shed containing an old arsenic-based
pesticide.

There's your motive and murder weapon . Next problem?

:-))

Steve

Bennett Langdon wrote:
Hi,

I'm currently writing a novel in which the hero's wife is a keen
gardener (probably a member of the RHS etc). Would anyone here be
willing to give me advice as to what she might have in her garden
(upper middle class, near Hampstead) and what she would be doing in
it at different seasons? You will get my thanks and an
acknowledgement in the published book.


What a fascinating question! I think the other Mike's jaundiced view
is unlikely to apply, at least in its entirety, to Hampstead, though.

She won't be following the TV garden makeover programmes. too vulgar,
though she may watch them avidly in order to enjoy expressing
contempt. She'll probably rather fancy Monty Don, if she likes
vulnerable men. She'll have some of the more expensive plants you
don't get at bog-standard garden centres, and she'll probably be
fascinated by herbs and some unusual vegetables. I see a walled
garden, which means there'll be a peach, a nectarine, and an apricot.
Some of the plants will have originated as cuttings or bulbs from her
parents' garden or trips abroad. She probably won't like double
flowers, even if it takes trouble to get the old single varieties;
she may dislike variegated leaves. She'll be big on winter-flowering
things and scent; and will be angry about modern sweet peas because
they don't smell as strong as the old ones. The lawn will have
camomile and shepherd's thyme in it for the scent. There will be
nothing conspicuous in the place made of plastic.

Will you need to have a full garden design in your head? Depends how
important it is to the "oh dear, yes, a novel tells a story", I
suppose. We can come up with some good plants to drop the names of,
though.

What she's doing at any time of year will, broadly speaking, be shown
in the back of general gardening books: usually in a chapter headed
something like "The gardener's year" or "A gardening calendar". A
Beth Chatto and Margery Fish fan. I bet she reads the _Guardian_: if
so, she likes Christopher Lloyd, though she won't share all his
ideas, and occasionally goes to Great Dixter to see his garden.

(Sorry, I'm getting seriously self-indulgent! I'm an editor by trade,
so I should know when to shut up.)

Mike.

On Tue, 8 Feb 2005 14:24:07 -0000, "Mike Lyle"
wrote:

Bennett Langdon wrote:
Hi,

I'm currently writing a novel in which the hero's wife is a keen
gardener (probably a member of the RHS etc). Would anyone here be
willing to give me advice as to what she might have in her garden
(upper middle class, near Hampstead) and what she would be doing in
it at different seasons? You will get my thanks and an
acknowledgement in the published book.


snip

What she's doing at any time of year will, broadly speaking, be shown
in the back of general gardening books: usually in a chapter headed
something like "The gardener's year" or "A gardening calendar". A
Beth Chatto and Margery Fish fan. I bet she reads the _Guardian_: if
so, she likes Christopher Lloyd, though she won't share all his
ideas, and occasionally goes to Great Dixter to see his garden.

If she's based in Hampstead then she might well find herself being
slightly dismayed to find her neighbour's an ex-new romantic still
living off the proceeds from a one-hit wonder.
Being semi-drugged for most of the waking day, he doesn't much bother
with the garden - and that which isn't paved over is covered in
pernicious weeds, which set seed all over her garden.

She'd complain - but the last time she had a moan he got Boy George to
moon at her from out of his loft window.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

What a fascinating question! I think the other Mike's jaundiced view
is unlikely to apply, at least in its entirety, to Hampstead, though.


In its entirety possibly not in Hampstead, but I feel that the 'Urban fox'
could be more of a problem especially if said fox decides to build its
'earth' under one of the outhouses/garages/sheds or whatever, but I feel
that she would be far more troubled by the Grey Squirrels rather than the
Reds my daughter has.

Of course it depends on what the 'gardening content' is as to how much to
put in. The 'wet patch' in the lawns which is solved by putting a lake in
and the subsequent plants there. The neglected Victorian conservatory which
is rebuilt/repaired and brought back into use. Here we have scope for the
builder/gardener/handyman as mentioned in another posting :-) ;-) know what
I mean??

How long is a piece of string?

On 8/2/05 12:34, in article , "Bennett
Langdon" wrote:

Hi,

I'm currently writing a novel in which the hero's wife is a keen gardener
(probably a member of the RHS etc). Would anyone here be willing to give me
advice as to what she might have in her garden (upper middle class, near
Hampstead) and what she would be doing in it at different seasons? You will
get my thanks and an acknowledgement in the published book.

She might like to grow plants with architectural interest - e.g. Phormiums,
Melianthus major, Dicksonia antarctica, Rhamnus alaternus variegata,
Pittosporum 'Garnettii' and Pittosporum tobira. She would eschew Dahlias
and Chrysanthemums, thinking them 'vulgar' but might well grow many of the
Salvias (assuming she's not sticking to white), Iris, lavender, roses.
There would be drifts of daffodils naturalised in the lawn in spring and
ditto snowdrops.
She might have Rosa banksiae climbing the wall of their house with a
Clematis montana and probably Rosa 'Albertine' or Rosa 'Gloire de Dijon'.
Hydrangea petiolaris or seemannii might share a wall with Actinidia
kolomikta. She would love the scent of Sarcococcas and Acacia dealbata
(mimosa) and encourage her friends to grow Clerodendrum fargesii, expressing
smug amazement at those of her friends who don't know it. ;-)
She might grow Alstroemeria but *never* the orange one, preferring the
biscuity colours and Eucomis bicolor and Agapanthus. Add some Eremurus
robustus or himalaicus and some Crambe cordifolia, Verbena bonariensis,
Nicotiana sylvestris, and Cephalaria gigantica and you have a garden!

Whatever she grows (other than shrubs) would be planted in great masses,
no 'dot' planting in this garden!
As to what she does in the garden at different times of year, would she do
*anything* other than pick flowers for the house? Wouldn't there be a
'little man' to do the actual gardening? ;-)
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

"Mike Lyle" wrote
Bennett Langdon wrote:
Hi,
I'm currently writing a novel in which the hero's wife is a keen
gardener (probably a member of the RHS etc). Would anyone here be
willing to give me advice as to what she might have in her garden
(upper middle class, near Hampstead) and what she would be doing in
it at different seasons? You will get my thanks and an
acknowledgement in the published book.

What a fascinating question! I think the other Mike's jaundiced view
is unlikely to apply, at least in its entirety, to Hampstead, though.
snipped
Mike.

She is also bound to be a member of the WI and might grow flowers, fruit (for
jam making) for the club fetes. She might also open her garden up under the
yellow Book scheme......

It seems to me to be a tricky subject to tackle if you know little or nothing
about gardening.

Why not give her some other hobby you know more about ?

Jenny :~)

As to what she does in the garden at different times of year, would she do
*anything* other than pick flowers for the house? Wouldn't there be a
'little man' to do the actual gardening? ;-)
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)


Please read class status

"Bennett Langdon" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I'm currently writing a novel in which the hero's wife is a keen
gardener
(probably a member of the RHS etc). Would anyone here be willing to
give me
advice as to what she might have in her garden (upper middle class,
near
Hampstead) and what she would be doing in it at different seasons?

It depends o whether she has a gardener and a potting shed or not.

More seriously, would it not be better if you wrote a novel involving
activities about which you know something?

Franz

[snip]

Franz

On 8/2/05 22:10, in article ,
" wrote:

On Tue, 8 Feb 2005 21:55:52 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Bennett Langdon" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I'm currently writing a novel in which the hero's wife is a keen
gardener
(probably a member of the RHS etc). Would anyone here be willing to
give me
advice as to what she might have in her garden (upper middle class,
near
Hampstead) and what she would be doing in it at different seasons?

It depends o whether she has a gardener and a potting shed or not.

More seriously, would it not be better if you wrote a novel involving
activities about which you know something?

I think you have been trolled again. :-((

Do you? It's a perfectly viable character, even if that is the case. Think
'Rosemary and Thyme' the recent detective series on TV.
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

On 8/2/05 17:51, in article , "Mike"
wrote:

As to what she does in the garden at different times of year, would she do
*anything* other than pick flowers for the house? Wouldn't there be a
'little man' to do the actual gardening? ;-)
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)


Please read class status


I did. And I do most certainly know that the subtleties of class
distinction have escaped you entirely. Go and fold a 'serviette' or
something.
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

I did. And I do most certainly know that the subtleties of class
distinction have escaped you entirely. Go and fold a 'serviette' or
something.
--


You think?

And by the way, sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. Don't stoop that low. You
are well aware of my thoughts of those who stoop to the gutter.

On 8/2/05 23:07, in article , "Mike"
wrote:



I did. And I do most certainly know that the subtleties of class
distinction have escaped you entirely. Go and fold a 'serviette' or
something.
--


You think?

And by the way, sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. Don't stoop that low. You
are well aware of my thoughts of those who stoop to the gutter.


Mike, you need to grasp a few facts - it is you who are so silly as to draw
attention to what you perceive to be your social superiority but which is
nothing of the sort. I know rather more than you do about the upper classes
but that's of no importance, other than that I know a pretentious fool when
I see one. And I've watched you make these idiotic claims many times
without saying a word. Now, I have said several words. You are ignorant of
the ways you'd like to teach and are flannelling those who are easily
impressed.
Secondly, I'm not being sarcastic - these are the facts of your truly
pathetic boasts. You have had the brass nerve to tell this group that
because your people owned a hotel "I know how things are done". You don't.
You have no knowledge of how 'things are done' in upper class or
aristocratic houses and you have proved it. It was a huge mistake to boast
of that to people who do, in fact, know more than you do but who lack your
innate vulgarity which led to that boast.
Thirdly, I really don't give a rolling doughnut what you think of me or
anyone else. In fact, to be approved of by you would be risible.

--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

wrote:
On Tue, 08 Feb 2005 22:22:30 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

On 8/2/05 22:10, in article
, "
wrote:

On Tue, 8 Feb 2005 21:55:52 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Bennett Langdon" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I'm currently writing a novel in which the hero's wife is a
keen
gardener (probably a member of the RHS etc). Would anyone here
be
willing to give me advice as to what she might have in her
garden
(upper middle class, near Hampstead) and what she would be
doing
in it at different seasons?

It depends o whether she has a gardener and a potting shed or
not.

More seriously, would it not be better if you wrote a novel
involving activities about which you know something?

I think you have been trolled again. :-((

Do you? It's a perfectly viable character, even if that is the
case. Think 'Rosemary and Thyme' the recent detective series on
TV.

So recent it hasn't arrived here yet :-(((

My voices tell me this guy is genuine. After all, it's the hero's
wife, not the hero himself. She's presumably only a minor character
in the novel, or he'd have her character and behaviour a bit more
sussed. Often only too realistic, as well: "I don't know what to give
my wife for Christmas: after all, I've only been married to her for
twenty years."

Mike.