Great Dixter
The Wisdom of Christopher Lloyd
Although his writing was ostensibly about gardening, Christopher Lloyd's work contained many profound and moving insights into life and humanity. We've collected some extracts from his writing together with some images of the Great Dixter gardens at their very best...
A fury of yellow flowers at Great Dixter
On colours:
"I love strong colour contrasts some, not all, of the time. They excite me. Save me from soft lights and sweet music. It will send me to sleep and I'm no insomniac at the best of times."
Lloyd was a great believer in experimentation
On being bored:
"If a plant bores you, something must be done about it. The simplest course, if it belongs to you, is to throw it out. If it is someone else's, look the other way. If it belongs to someone you rather dislike anyway, don't be ashamed to let it confirm you in an inclusive repulsion. At the least, you must react somehow. If you accept all your surroundings meekly, something in you will die. Thinking but keeping your mouth shut is acceptable, too, or you can confide in a like-minded friend. Going round someone's garden with a friend can be great fun, but do keep your voices low."
Just one of the rich textures you can expect to find
On his influences:
"John (Treasure) made a large garden of informal design and it was stamped with his personality, as gardens should be. He was particularly keen on heathers at the time, but they were largely superseded by clematis, which he had his own informal way of growing, not only on top of the heathers but climbing up the taller conifers behind. This worked well and was immensely original. John discovered new ways of gardening. He was never without a hoe in his hand. We got on well, but I was too short-tempered to be his full-time companion. He was a gentle person with strong views. We visited a number of gardens together and as to my influences, I think they all came from him."
The strangest plants sharing space at Great Dixter
On daydreaming:
"Daydreaming is good when you're not in the mood for being active, but you need to reserve a strong sense of scepticism. After all, the plant seller has to make a living, so he needs to present a beguiling portrait of his goods. If a colour is referred to as "subtle", it's probably recessive and insignificant. Subtle combinations of colours are the kind that you'll have to point out to a visitor, otherwise they'll go unnoticed."
The Great Dixter house behind a range of flowers
On the future of Great Dixter:
"A garden is bound to change when its creator is no longer there. If they are simply moving house, they may want to take plants with them, perhaps in the knowledge that their successor isn't in the least interested, anyway. Or maybe they want to make a new start. I, of course, wonder what is likely to happen at Dixter. I want it to continue to be dynamic, and most certainly not to be set in aspic, as can all too easily happen. Fergus Garrett, my head gardener and closest friend, wants the same dynamism. All being well, he will remain here, and there will be no fossilisation with him around."
On posterity:
From the preface to The Adventurous Gardener (1983)
"Never take the "I shan't see it" attitude. By exercising a little vision you will come to realise that the tree, which has a possible future, perhaps a great one, may be more important than yourself, nearing your end."
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