Episode 13: Kiftsgate Court Gardens

A few days ago I pulled a book off the shelf from my downstairs library, from my inner-sanctum which I jokingly refer to as "The Scriptorium." It is the room where I write, or at least where I research what I am going to write, and I previously wondered what W.J. Bean had to say about Dipteronia sinensis in his monumental Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles. The author reminded me that Dipteronia, from central and south China, "is the only member of the maple family other than Acer itself," bla bla bla.

When I cracked open Bean's Volume Ⅱ I was surprised that a postcard fell out which was temporarily used as a bookmark when I was previously researching Juniperus recurva, the "Himalayan juniper," probably a dozen years prior. The card was from the gift shop at Kiftsgate Court Gardens, though I didn't remember buying it. I visited the garden long ago with my late friend R. Hatch at the recommendation of Peter Gregory --the English maple botanist and author-- as the garden was not far from his Westonbirt Arboretum.

The Gloucestershire garden was small and charming, plus one is treated to fantastic views of the Cotswold landscape. The plant collection was perched on a steep hillside and featured perennials, but my visit was in autumn when most flowering (except the Dahlias) had finished.

What has strongly remained in my memory was a lovely sculpture by Simon Verity which was perfectly sited in front of a neat, dark hedge. I generally don't care for garden art, or what passes for "art," but the Verity work was so elegantly subtle that I imagined spiriting it away at night and installing it into my Flora Wonder Arboretum. But... maybe a little too heavy.

So, I didn't steal the statue, but I am swiping a copy of the card, for it's a spring shot with my sweetheart alongside a blooming Smilacina racemosa, while my rather dull photo was taken in late October.

Simon Verity, Chisel Meister

Simon Verity was a chisel meister, a stone carver with works in England as well as America and you can easily find his art on the internet. Sadly he passed away just a half-year ago on 9 September 2024. I don't know if the Kiftsgate piece has a name, but wouldn't it be incredible if it was Flora in Repose, which would explain why Flora led me there in the first place. ?

Simon Verity's statue of Daphne, Batsford Arboretum