Curves and Secret Corners: H. E. Bates on the Garden’s Art
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:
May 16, 1905
Dearest reader,
On this day, we celebrate the birth of Herbert Ernest Bates, better known to the literary world as H. E. Bates, an English author whose keen eye for the rhythms of rural life and profound love of flowers have left a lasting mark in literature and gardening alike.
Bates reminded us that the true gardener, like the true artist, is never quite finished shaping beauty.
The true gardener, like an artist, is never satisfied.
His novels—Love for Lydia (1952), The Darling Buds of May (1958), and My Uncle Silas (1939)—bloomed on page and screen. In A Love of Flowers (1971), he tied us to an ancient thread:
It is wonderful to think that one of the few unbroken links between the civilization of ancient Egypt and the civilization of today is the garden.
And, with a wink worthy of a lover of borders:
Gardens… should be like lovely, well-shaped girls: all curves, secret corners, unexpected deviations, seductive surprises and then still more curves.
Dear gardener, might you ask yourself—how can your garden embrace such sensual curves and secret corners?
Can it become not just a place of planting, but a living tapestry of surprises and allure?
H. E. Bates’s writings beckon us to nurture gardens rich in character and spirit, echoing the timeless connection between human artistry and nature's grace.
