Victoria Glendinning - the eloquence of VG and I totally agree - or nearly with everything she says. I didn’t feel I knew you well enough to ask the what-on-earth-are- you-on-about question. Partly because I admire what you are trying to do and partly because rational may be the only route for you to approach something unfamiliar?
Response to VG (in note, rather than eloquent form)
Yes to a garden is a process - not a product. Ongoing-ness means a second chance. And a third and so ad infinitum (or as finite as the gardener anyway)
Yes to a way of being outside and alone - legitimately.
No to scarily uncontrollable, because sometimes happy accidents -Â the self seeders - are far better than anything arranged
No to islands of order. I like the tipping into chaos - hate tidy gardens and think horticulture can get in the way of what matters. Back to Goethe’s ‘feeling in the head’ Not thoughts working wordlessly, more like painting than thinking. For me.

NH Q do we agree what gardens are for? A. see above and add being part of nature’s routine. Life, death, accepting mortality. If winter comes can spring be far behind stuff. Consolation. Art for people who can’t paint, or write poetry, or music.
Q experience of gardening/garden visiting the same? TOTALLY NOT. Visiting is looking at, but gardening is being in. Objective /subjective. Really rare to visit a garden that catches you in its mood. Saw jardin plume in france a few weeks ago and that was one to dream about. And Hepworth one but not - sorry- Pope’s Hadspen ever.
Q what does a designer do? A. understand the place and the person/client. Make the place more itself (MK version) others often want to do statements.
Q What’s in it for garden owner/ gardener? A.   Owner gardener has most fun, then gardener who gets a free hand, lastly owner who pays.
Not sure about your last plantsmen /designers idea. I think 50%50% is best, but if I had to choose one to emphasise it would be designer. Go to Wisley if you want to see plantsmanship ad nauseam, to no effect at all. It is like saying you would rather read a manual or an encyclopaedia than great lit

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