And Another Thing
A gardener must be a philosopher but never an atheist
That wel by reson men it calle may
The ‘dayesye’ or elles the ‘ye of day’,
The emperice and flour of floures alle.
There is also the kind that makes superb use of contrasting light and dark leaves in shrubs, and multiple shades of green, signs of a subtle, highly observant temperament — what you might call a Dorothy Wordsworth mind.
The Old Testament is full of references to flowers, especially their fragility, their evanescence. Samuel warns: ‘All the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age,’ and the Voice in Isaiah says: ‘All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.’ Gardeners know this. They perceive that dying is inherent in nature, and so is rebirth and renewal. Gardeners come close to the spirit of life and its creator. They are not wild enthusiasts, but gentle philosophers, and we may be sure that no great gardener is an atheist.
More articles from: Paul Johnson | this section
Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
Advertisement
Global warning
Theodore DalrympleScratch the surface and there is always tragedy, mixed, of course, with wickedness.
And another thing
Paul Johnson
When the leaves fall is the fun time of year for artists
Status Anxiety
Toby YoungClasslessness means your five-year-old chanting ‘sheepshaggers’ on the terraces
The Wiki Man
Rory SutherlandA fortnightly column on technology and the web
Shared Opinion
Hugo Rifkind
If there really is a secret Zionist brotherhood running the world, why aren’t I a member?
And Another Thing
Paul Johnson
Michelangelo, old boy, do you think you might...
And Another Thing
Paul Johnson
Stop throwing bricks! You might hit a bishop’s niece
Spectator Sport
Roger Alton
Crying games
And Another Thing
Paul Johnson
Should a widowed mother aged thirteen be a saint?
Spectator Sport
Roger Alton
Back chat
Latest blog posts
sponsored links
Free Sky Digital Offer - Order Now
Subscribe to Sky from £16 a month. Get free equipment and free broadband - Join Now. Sky HD - be amongst the first to have it - order now.
Free Sky Digital Offer - Order Now
Subscribe to Sky from £16 a month. Get free equipment and free broadband - Join Now. Sky HD - be...
ROME CENTRE
PORTA METRONIA, ROME Standing high on the top of one of the seven hills of Rome- the Coelian- this unique
City Breaks. ROME and PARIS
ROME and PARIS: over 350 holiday rentals apartments listed: visit www.romanreference.com and www.parisreference.com or call +39 0648 903612.
Jewellery. RUFFS (Estd. 1904).
Goldsmiths by Design Welcome to Ruffs! You have found a company of Goldsmiths that specialises in the manufacture, amongst other
Spectator Business | Apollo Magazine
Corporate | Advertising | Privacy | Terms
Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9HP
All Articles and Content Copyright ©2008 by The Spectator | All Rights Reserved
Mike Lewis
September 11th, 2008 3:54pmWonderful comments on the gardens of Stogumber. Nonsense in the last sentence. Of course great gardeners can be atheists.