I WON my first prize for gardening when I was nine years old at prep school. My grand-mother was delighted—it was she who had sent me the seeds of godetia, eschscholtzia and Virginia stock that secured my victory. Gardening continued to absorb me through the years of school, university and devilling in London. Yes, I know it—some people are boring right from their earliest youth.
Any young man who is keen on gardening and knowledgeable about plants quickly attracts a fan club of elderly ladies. Such, at least, was my experience in the 1970s. nearly 50 years ago, the letters of congratulation in those pre-digital days all had the same question for me—does she like gardening? The answer was ‘Yes’—and, what’s more, she likes roses.
