The Gardener’s Muse: Fred Paxford and the Roots of Narnia

On This Day
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:

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August 5, 1898

On this day, we commemorate the birth of Frederick William Calcut Paxford (known to the world as Fred Paxford), a man whose green thumb and steadfast character left an indelible mark on the literary world.

Born in the waning years of the 19th century, Paxford would go on to cultivate not only the grounds of a renowned author but also the seeds of a beloved literary character.

From 1930 until the passing of C.S. Lewis in 1963, Paxford served as the esteemed gardener at The Kilns, Lewis's Oxfordshire estate. Here, Paxford's horticultural prowess flourished, transforming the grounds into a veritable Eden.

Picture, if you will, the scene he crafted: a meticulously leveled lawn stretching before the house, a tapestry of flowers unfurling their petals to the sun, a rose arbor offering romantic respite, and an orchard and vegetable garden providing earthly delights.

But Paxford's talents extended beyond mere landscaping.

This "indispensable factotum," as Lewis fondly referred to him, also tended to more practical matters, raising rabbits and chickens with the same care he bestowed upon his botanical charges.

Intriguingly, Paxford and Lewis were contemporaries in age, yet their paths to The Kilns had diverged greatly.

While Lewis had been immersed in academia, Paxford had answered the call of duty during the Great War, bearing the physical scars of his service in the form of injuries sustained from gas attacks.

It was perhaps this blend of resilience and earthiness that inspired Lewis to immortalize Paxford in the pages of his beloved Chronicles of Narnia.

In the character of Puddleglum, the marsh-wiggle of The Silver Chair, we see echoes of Paxford, described as:

"an inwardly optimistic, outwardly pessimistic, dear, frustrating, shrewd countryman of immense integrity."

One can almost hear the clippers snipping and the spade turning soil as we delve into Paxford's own recollections of his time with "Mr. Jack," as he invariably called Lewis:

"Mr. Jack loved the trees and would not have a tree cut down or lopped. When we had to take some [branches] to make a rose trellis, we had to get them when he was away for a few days and cover up the cuts with mud so that they would not be seen."

Such devotion to the natural world speaks volumes about both men's characters.

One can imagine the silent understanding between author and gardener as they each tended to their respective domains – Lewis cultivating worlds of fantasy while Paxford nurtured the very real and equally magical world just outside the study window.

For 33 years, Paxford made his home in a modest bungalow nestled within the garden he so lovingly tended.

It was a fitting abode for a man whose life was so intimately entwined with the earth and its seasons.

Upon Lewis's passing, Paxford was bequeathed a sum of 100 pounds – a gesture that, while perhaps not reflecting the true value of his decades of service, was met with his characteristic dry wit: "Well, it won't take me far, will it?"

As we reflect on Paxford's life, let us take a moment to appreciate the often unsung heroes who shape the world around us.

For every great author, there is a Paxford – tending the grounds, keeping the home fires burning, and quietly inspiring greatness.

To my fellow gardeners, I implore you to consider the legacy you're cultivating alongside your plants.

Who knows what literary masterpieces or flights of fancy you might be nurturing with each turn of the soil?

Fred Paxford, 1973
Fred Paxford, 1973
The Kilns - C.S. Lewis' home in Oxford
The Kilns - C.S. Lewis' home in Oxford

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