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Menton's Man with Green Fingers (3)
2011-08-05 12:51
William Waterfield is the owner of the Clos du Peyronnet, one of Menton's famous gardens, and the last Menton garden to remain the property of the same family since 1912. Jilly Bennett went along to interview him.
CityOut: When did you first come to live here?
William Waterfield: I came to the Clos in September 1976. The house was built in 1897 and bought by my grandparents in 1912 from a Mrs. Troubridge. At that time the garden was an olive grove and even now it contains thirteen olive trees over 700 years old. After my grandparents died during the second World War, my father and uncle inherited the property. They renovated the house into apartments and later my uncle Humphrey remodelled the garden during the 1950s and 60s. I had studied Botany at Oxford and at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, so taking over the garden was a natural fit.
CO: What most inspires you about your work?
WW: It's lovely to do something that takes one outside into such nice surroundings. I love the the way the garden changes from week to week - buds grow, they flower, plants produce seeds, then they die back. As for difficulties, well I'm well run-in as a gardener and I'm used to it. It's very important to choose the right moment to do each job. If not, you have to do it all over again. So it's important to be efficient in hours spent in the garden. Now that I'm 67 I do have help one day a week through my contacts within a gardening school in Antibes. They send me a 'stagiare' during the season, which gives them the opportunity to work at on the job training and hopefully to get the feel of a garden. I also take them on visits to other gardens. My other passion as you know is collecting bulbs, many from South Africa, but I'm winding down a little now and rationalizing the collection. It's become rather too big an undertaking.
CO: Your garden is open to the public - how does that work?.
WW: A lot of people visit the garden, either individuals who are quite motivated and knowledgeable, or groups. It's always fun as one learns and teaches at the same time. I have a strong presence in the French gardening world and internationally as well, and this maintains that position. Affinity groups come from many different countries - English, Italians, French, American, Dutch, German - I've even had a Russian group which was unthinkable only a few years ago. I'm also involved with the Serre de la Madone in Menton and with the Amici of the Hanbury Gardens just across the border in Italy and I belong to hundreds of other gardening associations throughout France and the world.
CO: So France has become part of your life now?
WW: Very much so. I love being by the sea and swimming. Looking down through the mimosas and seeing the sea glinting below... perhaps if I wasn't living at the Clos I wouldn't love it so much. Of course not living in the UK I miss three things in particular - Forced rhubarb, pork sausages and parsnips. But there have been highlights to living here: I was honoured by the Minister of Culture when I was made Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for services to French horticulture. And I recently married Judy Pillsbury, who herself owns a famous garden, La Louve, in Bonnieux in the Luberon.
CO: How do you spend your time away from your work?
WW: I spend some time visiting other people's gardens. In fact I'm compiling a formal list of all gardens of note in the PACA region. It's fun because it brings me into contact with lots of different people. The challenge is getting into the gardens in the first place as many owners are very private. Finding the key is important - often it's as simple as meeting the head gardener. Sadly, I've not yet made headway with Russian owners of private gardens though. As well as this, I travel all over the world visiting gardens, in particular South Africa, California and England and of course, French gardens.
The Clos du Peyronnet is open to the public for two days at the beginning of June, otherwise by appointment. You can contact William directly on whcwaterfield@gmail.com or call + 33 4 93 35 72 15