Just finished Beverley Nichols‘ 1963 book Garden Open Today. I’m glad that I’d forgotten about this post by Michelle over at GardenRant from a couple years ago (worth a visit if just for this image of Nichols in his more fabulous days) about the inauthenticity of Nichols and Hillary Clinton, or I’d have spent too much effort trying sniff out what was true and what was dramatic license. (And I’m totally thankful I’d forgotten that in the comments to that post I suggested that those who found Hillary too phony to look at John Edwards. Oy! We really dodged a bullet on that one. Thank you National Enquirer.)
Even if he fudged some facts, I found much that rang true in Nichols’ accounts. (If I arranged flowers inside, I’d find away to place the vase in front of a mirror, too.) As with most Britain-based garden books, the plant choices are useless here in the frigid north. But the principles remain the same.
I have already put into play two practical suggestions from the book: Placing clay pipes (and some broken pots) in the water garden to give the fish more places to hide from the herons. (I fear the koi will be too big when the herons visit in fall.) And I moved a clump of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’ to the edge of the water garden so that it will be reflected in the water.
Obvious things I hadn’t thought of. They sound authentic. Time will tell.
Yes, we did dodge one. I can still hear it whistling past my ear as if it just happened.