Boy it’s a long way to Great Dixter from here. Still, a fruitful, brief stop at GW Live at the NEC produced two lovely Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’ from Chris Cooke’s reliably interesting nursery stall, and it broke the journey up nicely. I’ve been asked about taking a stand in the floral marquee at GW live next year – can’t say I’m convinced yet…
I digress. So the trip to Great Dixter was about picking up some final tips and a few spare plants for the garden Bob Tridgett and I are building at Tatton Show in July – more on which later. I arrived under a black, threatening sky and hovered under the front arch for a bit, looking for Fergus (a familiar pastime at GD, it would seem!). A sprightly lady, grey, but upright and twinkly and oddly familiar, was peering at the clump of Mathiasella bupleuroides ‘Green Dream’ growing by the porch and discussing its identity with her companion. Helpfully I identified it, spelled it out and she wrote it down diligently in her notebook. It was only when one of the many young helpers emerges from the house and asks Beth if she would like a scarf that my initial flicker of recognition turns to full-on appreciation that I’ve just met Beth Chatto. I don’t know if I’m really quite thrilled or just a little embarrassed to have identified a plant for this modern doyenne of horticulture.
Later, we had a little chat in the nursery and, as many older people are wont to, she told me with no little pride that she is 85. Truth is, part of the reason I didn’t quickly realise who she was is that the person I met at the porch didn’t look old enough to be Beth Chatto. It’s good to see she still enjoys visits to Great Dixter, despite the loss of her old friend.
(more later……)
One Response to “Great Dixter – and a lovely brief encounter…”
My goodness Sue a trip from yours to Great Dixter with a stop at GW on the way…you are a glutton for punishment!! What a treat to ‘bump into’ Beth Chatto, I think at 85 she can be forgiven for not being sure of which plant it was, I am already losing grip of many of them. We had a trip to Sissinghurst and Dixter a last month – staying overnight in Battle, it was a private visit in that there was just our coachload there, I hope it was equally empty when you were there as it was so good to be able to stand back and enjoy the planting with nobody in view – even when looking at the long border once the party had dissipated around the garden.