Not So Glory Days

There was a time that all watering in a walled garden or the gardens "up at the big 'ouse" would have used a water cart or water carrier like the one in todays image that Roy has lovingly restored to full working glory....well nearly because the galvanised body was found upturned on our rhubarb patch being used to force the ghastly vegetable....it therefor leaks! Nevertheless it is a good museum piece and looks good in the gardens at Eggleston.

As a garden boy in the early seventies it was my job to trail one of these things around the garden paths, I usually needed about 20 fills to get all the paths done, each would contain a blend of Bentleys arsenic weedkiller, often mixed with half water and half diesel oil. It did the job but was later banned so we changed to sodium chlorate.....either way it was powerful stuff and there was no protective clothing, even gloves were considered poofy. I am glad those days have gone, we may knock the obviously stupid Health & Safety rules but risks were taken with peoples heath back then and we are well rid of such blatant irresponsibility. An old boy called Charlie was the second gardener in my early days, he actually used to stir sodium chlorate in one of these vessels using his bare arm, when I quizzed him about the dangers to his skin and health he looked at me incredulously and replied "It's only fucking salt boy".....Charlie later died of cancer, aged 66.....His wife was quickly removed from their tied cottage and a new gardener took his place. You did not question, argue, or express an opinion back then, and dying was no excuse for slacking.

Happy days? Character building? Good old days?.......I would not wish to turn back the hands of time. The Victorian age may look full of romantic charm to some, I believe it to be riddled with hypocrisy, hatefulness, class distinction, and pious deference. We should never mourn its passing.

PLANTSMANS CORNER will be opening on the 1st and 3rd sundays April to October;

2010 OPENING DAYS;
April 4th & 18th;
May 2nd & 16th;
June 6th & 20th;
July 4th & 18th;
August 1st & 15th
September 5th & 19th
October 3rd & 17th

You can also visit by appointment on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, and to collect plants.