VP, whose blog I have just found (http://vegplotting.blogspot.com/2007/02/dinner-time.html), suggested naming garden-related guests for a dinner party. I'm going to name 5, because I'm feeling gregarious...
1. Graham Stuart Thomas. I've been told he was as nice in person as he seems in his books. His taste and ideas have influenced me enormously, and Mottisfont Abbey is my favourite garden other than our own. He seems to show a fine nature towards many things, as well as plants.
2. My distant relative Deirdre, who is so self-effacing about gardens but knows so much. She would be great company socially too.
3 and 4 -bit of a gamble: my two grandmothers, who met only very briefly. I never met my maternal one. Both were very keen gardeners, unlike my parents, and I would love to talk to them about it.
5. Harold Nicolson. I'm a little sccared that I might not actually like Vita in person, but HN would be interesting for all sorts of reasons :)
Hi - no problem about the first link, I can fix it easily.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining in - your blog's a new discovery for me too :)
I love your mix of family and 'greats' - many people have chosen the people from their family who are their inspiration.
I feel like I know GST already as I keep on coming across his stuff on volunteer days at the National Trust HQ.
Harold Nicolson - interesting. Vita's the more obvious one to go for, but I think he'd be fascinating too!
Hello! It was really nice to hear from you again :-D
ReplyDeleteI think Harold Nicolson would be interesting as well, and rather less intimidating than Vita!
Poor Harold, he usually is merely an also ran to Vita. I'm glad somebody decided to invite him.
ReplyDeleteI think he's a fascinating man, and his diaries are so like being there. To be at the heart of international politics *and* planning gardens, *and* married to such a lady, is rather impressive to me.
ReplyDeleteIt would be most fun to see two grandmothers get together and talk. Just think of what you could learn!
ReplyDeleteHello Emily ! I am just catching up with all the gossip from the dinner parties. I am sure that your dinner party must have gone well. Mottisfont Abbey is on my list of gardens to visit,and I must time it for when the roses are out. I chose family too - in my case my parents, but must ask them one day about whether my grandmothers liked gardening. Harold would indeed be less scary than Vita and you could relax more. I was given Adam Nicholson's 'Sissinghurst' as a Christmas present and am really looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteHello Anna - Adam Nicolson's writing is wonderful - his Perch Hill is one of my favourite books.
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