Guess who said this to his wife: “I think it is very important to have animals, flowers, and plants in one’s life while it lasts.” Give up? Winston Churchill, former prime-minister of Great Britain, and one of the most influential statesmen in modern times. January 24, 2015, marked the 50th anniversary of Churchill’s death, and on that day I saw an interview on TV with one of Churchill’s descendants, who spent part of the interview speaking about how Churchill loved to work in his garden.
Besides being a statesman, Churchill was a painter, a writer, and a gardener. He drew most of his inspiration and serenity from the gardens at Chartwell, the home he and his family loved and enjoyed for over forty years. There were many gardens on the property, including a kitchen garden and a cutting garden that provided flowers for simple bouquets in the house. In the interview on TV, we were told that Churchill loved to build walls and small buildings out of bricks all through his garden. I did some homework and read that Mrs. Churchill sometimes had to dissuade Winston from some of the grand ideas he had for the garden!
The garden also had paths, fountains, ponds, pastures, flowerbeds, interesting borders, and of course, various brickwork projects. Wouldn’t it be fun to see it?
Like all of us, Churchill had his favorite flowers. At one point in history, Churchill was given an amaryllis by the late Princess Marina. He was so thrilled with the plant that he wanted Chartwell to always have amaryllis on hand, and to this day there is a large collection of amaryllis plants in the house. Lady Churchill loved white flowers, and if you and I visited
Chartwell and toured the house, there would be a vase of white flowers in her bedroom.
Speaking of celebrity gardeners, I was reading a book called “My Passion for Design” by Barbara Streisand. In one part of this beautiful book she talks about her garden and has this to say: “I never had a garden before. I grew up in Brooklyn, in an apartment building surrounded by cement. Even when I moved to Central Park West and had a terrace for the first time, it was not exactly Eden. Anything I put outside was soon covered with a layer of soot. Now I wake up every morning and see the ocean and the sky. I walk through the garden to see what’s bloomed overnight. I have a sign by the path that says “Won’t you come into my garden? I would like my roses to see you.” I find it unbelievably gratifying to be this close to nature. Every day in the garden is different. The flowers are constantly changing. It keeps me fascinated.”
Fascinated. Isn’t that how we always feel in our gardens? Don’t they bring us peace, relaxation, exercise, inspiration, fresh air, fresh produce, and appreciation of nature? How lucky we are to be able to enjoy our gardens!
Gardening season is still coming, but you can start to get inspired at the first 2015 meeting of the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society on Wednesday, February 18 at 7:00 p.m. in the Sunshine Room at SIGN on North Street. Please note the new meeting day, Wednesday, February 18. And remember, Saturday, March 14 is the date of the Prairie Sun Seed Festival, a great, informative day that you’ll really enjoy! Lots to look forward to!
Have a great week!
