My gardening world
Novelist Patrick Gale is the author of award-winning classics like Notes From An Exhibition and A Place Called Winter. He grew up on the Isle of Wight, where his father was a prison governor. He now lives with his husband, sculptor Aidan Hicks, near Land’s End in Cornwall. His latest novel, Mother’s Boy, is out in paperback this month.
You’ve always lived and gardened by the sea – are you drawn to the coast?
Yes, I’m very unhappy if I’m not near the sea. Which is insane for a gardener – really you want to be as far from it as possible. We’ve created a garden in what’s officially the second windiest place in the UK. I could write a book about what survives sea winds and what doesn’t – pretty much anything from New Zealand does. And I’ve learned to love olearias, they’re fantastic windbreaks.
Do you ever long to garden somewhere more sheltered?
Not really – I’ve got so used to gardening here. I know its moods pretty well. There are certain plants I’ve learned never to try: I love giant Himalayan lilies (Cardiocrinum giganteum), but I don’t live in a wood, so they’ll never do well with us. It’s taken me a series of expensive failures to admit that.
Where did you learn to garden?
I come from a gardening family. Traditionally prison governors lived in big mansions with sizeable gardens. My mother’s enthusiasm was bottomless: she worshipped Vita Sackville-West and gardened in that quite romantic way. As a child I trailed around after her with my sister and brothers and we all got the gardening bug.
Does gardening help your writing?
Gardening is such a brilliant activity when you need to clear your head. There are so many tasks you can do with half a brain, like deadheading roses, and you’re still slightly thinking about work. There’s something enormously therapeutic about a pleasant task that’s also an endless one. I always say to writers who are having trouble, try stepping away from the manuscript and weeding a flowerbed.
What’s your greatest success?
At its peak in July, the rose garden gives me huge pleasure – mainly because I love the look of astonishment on visitors’ faces when they come through the little gate. It’s so unexpected to see 100-odd roses growing this close to Land’s End.
■ Patrick’s garden, Trevilley, in Sennen, opens for charity on 8 July – see ngs.org.uk