|
| I'm a huge fan of Beverley Nichols, started reading this book today, and his writing reminded me so much of the way Camp writes! I hope she takes this as a compliment. His personality was so witty, and what a way with words. I don't know what it was about writers in the 1930's, to me so much more interesting and earthy than the fiction writers of today. |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by Sidos-House 7 NC (My Page) on Thu, Dec 12, 13 at 9:23
| Hi, Ogrose. I haven't read that particular book by Beverly Nichols but between him and Vita Sackville-West they changed me into something of an anglophiliac (!) gardener. I've read the Down the Garden Path series and then skipped a couple decades or so and read some of his later works such as Garden Open Today. He seemed, oh, I don't know, a little bit more whimsical later in life. But what pointed opinions he had in the Down the Garden Path books. One in particular I remember every fall as I am planting bulbs was his idea about how women will approach this task... something along the lines of how they will go out into the middle of the field and plant one daffodil and think it is utterly charming and romantic while a man will do things properly and dig a trench and fill it with bulbs. None of this silly singular flower stuff for him :) |
|
- Posted by mendocino_rose z8 N CA. (My Page) on Thu, Dec 12, 13 at 10:06
| Beverly Nichols is a lot of fun to read. I think there was a style affected by some writers of the period that was humorous and whimsical. |
|
| I must be fond of that style since I very much enjoyed his books. Vita Sackville-West possibly a bit less, but I wonder if that wasn't influenced by what I considered to be her somewhat unsavory lifestyle. Nichols also seemed to have a rather warmer personality which came through in his writings. Ingrid |
|
- Posted by Sidos-House 7 NC (My Page) on Thu, Dec 12, 13 at 17:34
| Depending on how you define savory and unsavory, you might see a bit both in Beverly. :) He was definitely a fabulous character. It's so fun to have this little conversation. I am certain that no one in my real-life circle has heard of Beverly Nichols. Vita, probably, but not as a gardener ;) New York Times: http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/12/fabulous-dead-people-beverley-nichols/?_r=0 And from the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, a sadder, less enthusiastic piece: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/printable/31497 |
|
| Well, that camply arch style was very much of a class and an era - unsurprisingly, he was more popular over in the US (who all seem quite mad for anglo/retro/ nostalgia (vis a vis the Downton craze, along with anything with bonnets and crinolines). Haven't read much myself but did devour E.F.Benson's Mapp and Lucia sequence of novels (in a similar vein). An expat. yank over here who's writings I rather enjoy - Robin Lane-Fox - has that donnish classics dryness which fits in rather well with long discussions about viburnums. Another old rose grower too. |
|
| Just to clarify a remark I probably shouldn't have made: I probably don't know enough about Nichols' personal life, but I don't believe he was married and I don't care how people conduct themselves in their private lives as long as it's not hurtful. Vita was married, and her extramarital affairs with at least one rather crazy woman just left a bad taste in my mouth. Of course in her circle she wasn't exactly the only one. It's all far removed from her gardening endeavors and really didn't have a place here. My apologies. Ingrid |
|
| No need to apologize, Ingrid! From what I've read about Beverley, he sold one of his houses after shocking the neighborhood and they put up a stink about his wild parties... In this day and age, we probably wouldn't think too much about it. It just adds interest and intrigue to some of these ever so talented people! |
|
| I'm trying to get my head around what it's like to have long discussions about Viburnums. |
|
| Ha - when when I was a beginning gardener and people used to ask what such and such a plant was, I dealt with my lack of knowledge by either muttering some vaguely latinate waffle, very quickly and indistinctly......or confidently insisting it was a viburnum. Never once got challenged. In the UK, shrubberies have gone the same way as rockeries and conifer and heather scapes (although I find myself perversely longing for a revival). For years now, it has been perennials, tropicals, vegetables or wildflower meadows and such - anyone with an interest in philadelphus, berberis, weigela, abelia or even hebes are considered totally passe.....and yet viburnums (along with hamamelis and rhodies) are still deemed acceptable, even somewhat rarified. |
|
| Thanks for the comments, camp. I like shrubberies myself but they need lots of space. They will be stylish again eventually, right? Garden enthusiasms wax and wane. |
|
- Posted by sherryocala 9A Florida (My Page) on Mon, Dec 16, 13 at 16:32
| Suzy, re "muttering some vaguely latinate waffle, very quickly and indistinctly.....", it never occurred to me that you did not spring from the womb spouting latinate mumbo jumbo. This bit of news is somehow very satisfying to me, to say nothing of how erudite I can sound after being immersed in posts like this (even down to the accent of my silent reading). Of course, there is no measurement for how un-erudite I am. It always pays to stay in familiar waters, so I'll quickly take my leave. Sherry |
Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Antique Roses Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here
