Taken from the English Garden Magazine - March/April 1997
The quintessential English garden - in the mind's eye - is brimming with roses climbing old walls and iron arches. Its wide borders are massed with spires of royal blue delphiniums, purple lupins and skies of Canterbury bells. It is luscious with great bowls of peonies, velvet with soft, grey lamb's ears and heady with the scent of lavender. It's an odd thing, the mind's eye, the way it can wrap itself around an idea and never lift its gaze. For in that vision the English garden enjoys a perpetual summer.
The manor house at Heslington, two miles outside York, offers all the joys of summer, for thirty years the Manor House and its garden has been the inspiration of and for George Smith, master of the art of flower arranging, but, as he says 'gardener first'.
He lectures all over the world, has written three books on flower arrangement, and has been responsible for outstanding floral decorations at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's and York Minster. George's Fascination with plants began early. 'My first plant was a hosta - H. Forunei 'Albopicta' - which I rescued when I was about six on my way home from school. Well, I stole it really, and from the vicar's compost heap, too. My next plant was given to me by my uncle, an artist, when I was eight. It was an Iris pseudacorus 'Variegata'. Suddenly, Iwas aware of leaves having colour, other than just green.'
He embarked on a horticultural training when he left school, but ironically, it was during his national service, that George's talent for flower arranging was noticed. He had done 'something to brighten up Catterick Camp for the General's visit - just hedgerow blossom and leaves'. The General's wife remarked upon it and thence-forward he was commanded to arrange her flowers. He was soon giving classes to all the army wifes.
He lectures all over the world, has written three books on flower arrangement, and has been responsible for outstanding floral decorations at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's and York Minster. George's Fascination with plants began early. 'My first plant was a hosta - H. Forunei 'Albopicta' - which I rescued when I was about six on my way home from school. Well, I stole it really, and from the vicar's compost heap, too. My next plant was given to me by my uncle, an artist, when I was eight. It was an Iris pseudacorus 'Variegata'. Suddenly, Iwas aware of leaves having colour, other than just green.'
He embarked on a horticultural training when he left school, but ironically, it was during his national service, that George's talent for flower arranging was noticed. He had done 'something to brighten up Catterick Camp for the General's visit - just hedgerow blossom and leaves'. The General's wife remarked upon it and thence-forward he was commanded to arrange her flowers. He was soon giving classes to all the army wifes.
