Gardens And Gardeners

[Octopus of Odstock 2,183]

Twas tending the garden today and it's a fair bit of effort. Not that I was anywhere near carking it, but it's quite hard physical work - depending on the size of your garden, of course, and how often you tend it.

 

If it's this big, then it's less physical exertion and of course, people in flats do not have gardens, so their exertion comes via stairs perhaps, but never mind all this babble... it got me to thinking, how many famous people have died in the garden, either by accident or otherwise?

 

 

Then it got me thinking... the Deathlist does not have a Gardeners thread. Maybe this is all it is missing to make it the jolly place it used to be. Maybe this is a thread too far, but watching the Royal Chelsea Flower Show on Sunday (what a rock and roll lifestyle, I lead!) meant I saw many an old fart gardener.... so maybe it's good for you?

 

Anyway,

Death by Garden; Vittorio Brambilla, racing driver, died of h/a whilst working in his garden.

Er, that's all I could find.

 

Famous Gardeners (worthy of mention for DL/DDP purposes, so no Titchmarsh etc.):

Beth Chatto, b. 1923

Michael Hesletine is an arboriculturist.

Peter Cundall b. 1927

Roy Lancaster b. 1937

Art Drysdale b. 1939

whilst Peter Seabrook must be in his 80's by now?

[Death Impends 7,953]

Terry Walton, brought up on here before, also warrants mention due to prostate cancer, though he appears to be improving.

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

Yes Cundall is definitely one to keep an eye on. One of the old commie's colleagues from Gardening Australia, Colin Campbell, died last year too.

[John Kettley 49]

Twas tending the garden today and it's a fair bit of effort.

 

Did you sing

And dance around

Because you know

You can't be found?

[Red Flag 84]

Death by Garden; Vittorio Brambilla, racing driver, died of h/a whilst working in his garden.

Er, that's all I could find.

Alan Ball died in a similar way - trying to put out a bonfire in his garden

[Spade_Cooley 9,501]

Death by Garden; Vittorio Brambilla, racing driver, died of h/a whilst working in his garden.

Er, that's all I could find.

 

Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro died as a result of spraying his garden with insecticide while ripped to the tits on cocaine and the resulting chemical reaction.

 

Country guitarist Merle Watson also died while gardening in a story too long/hilarious to summarise, so here it is C+Pd off another website:

 

On the night of October 22, 1985, Merle was restless and unable to sleep. Some time after midnight, he went to the basement, tied on his nail apron, and proceeded to trim some red beech paneling that had been misgrooved, making it ready to panel his basement walls. The saw blade hit an undetected fault in the grain and a good-sized piece of hardwood splintered off, embedding itself in the muscle of Merle's upper arm. He grabbed his all-weather jacket, fumbled around in the pocket for the key to his farm tractor, and left to seek help. Merle went to the houses of three of his neighbors, all of whom knew him well, but no one ventured forth from the comfort of their homes to help him. Finally, spotting a lighted house at the summit of a steep hill, he continued in that direction, praying he would not black out before he got there. The people who lived there, however, were afraid to attempt the removal of the embedded wood from his arm. "Maybe I can get it out," Merle said, "I've got to have my arm. I have to pick the guitar. Have you got a knife and something for pain?" They didn't have anything for pain, however, except some wine. Merle sterilized the knife with the wine, and then drank some as an anesthetic. Merle successfully removed the huge splinter and the couple whose house he had come to wrapped a bandage around his arm, covering the wound. Weak from the trauma and loss of blood, Merle left. On the way back down the steep incline of their drive, the tractor brakes locked, leading it over the high embankment. Merle was thrown off and the large tractor then landed on him, killing him instantly. The life of one of acoustic music's brightest and most beloved musicians was at a premature end.

[Toast 16,096]

Country guitarist Merle Watson also died while gardening in a story too long/hilarious to summarise, so here it is C+Pd off another website:

 

On the night of October 22, 1985, Merle was restless and unable to sleep. Some time after midnight, he went to the basement, tied on his nail apron, and proceeded to trim some red beech paneling that had been misgrooved, making it ready to panel his basement walls. The saw blade hit an undetected fault in the grain and a good-sized piece of hardwood splintered off, embedding itself in the muscle of Merle's upper arm. He grabbed his all-weather jacket, fumbled around in the pocket for the key to his farm tractor, and left to seek help. Merle went to the houses of three of his neighbors, all of whom knew him well, but no one ventured forth from the comfort of their homes to help him. Finally, spotting a lighted house at the summit of a steep hill, he continued in that direction, praying he would not black out before he got there. The people who lived there, however, were afraid to attempt the removal of the embedded wood from his arm. "Maybe I can get it out," Merle said, "I've got to have my arm. I have to pick the guitar. Have you got a knife and something for pain?" They didn't have anything for pain, however, except some wine. Merle sterilized the knife with the wine, and then drank some as an anesthetic. Merle successfully removed the huge splinter and the couple whose house he had come to wrapped a bandage around his arm, covering the wound. Weak from the trauma and loss of blood, Merle left. On the way back down the steep incline of their drive, the tractor brakes locked, leading it over the high embankment. Merle was thrown off and the large tractor then landed on him, killing him instantly. The life of one of acoustic music's brightest and most beloved musicians was at a premature end.

 

Isn't that more carpentry than gardening?

A carpentery cautionary tale nonetheless.

[JR976evil 905]

Death by Garden; Vittorio Brambilla, racing driver, died of h/a whilst working in his garden.

Er, that's all I could find.

 

Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro died as a result of spraying his garden with insecticide while ripped to the tits on cocaine and the resulting chemical reaction.

 

Country guitarist Merle Watson also died while gardening in a story too long/hilarious to summarise, so here it is C+Pd off another website:

 

On the night of October 22, 1985, Merle was restless and unable to sleep. Some time after midnight, he went to the basement, tied on his nail apron, and proceeded to trim some red beech paneling that had been misgrooved, making it ready to panel his basement walls. The saw blade hit an undetected fault in the grain and a good-sized piece of hardwood splintered off, embedding itself in the muscle of Merle's upper arm. He grabbed his all-weather jacket, fumbled around in the pocket for the key to his farm tractor, and left to seek help. Merle went to the houses of three of his neighbors, all of whom knew him well, but no one ventured forth from the comfort of their homes to help him. Finally, spotting a lighted house at the summit of a steep hill, he continued in that direction, praying he would not black out before he got there. The people who lived there, however, were afraid to attempt the removal of the embedded wood from his arm. "Maybe I can get it out," Merle said, "I've got to have my arm. I have to pick the guitar. Have you got a knife and something for pain?" They didn't have anything for pain, however, except some wine. Merle sterilized the knife with the wine, and then drank some as an anesthetic. Merle successfully removed the huge splinter and the couple whose house he had come to wrapped a bandage around his arm, covering the wound. Weak from the trauma and loss of blood, Merle left. On the way back down the steep incline of their drive, the tractor brakes locked, leading it over the high embankment. Merle was thrown off and the large tractor then landed on him, killing him instantly. The life of one of acoustic music's brightest and most beloved musicians was at a premature end.

 

That's up there with Rod Hull falling off his roof trying to fix the TV aerial, and maybe even Chicago's Terry Kath blowing his brains out playing Russian Roulette

[YoungWillz 20,952]

Horticulturist, author and radio presenter "oop North", Joe Maiden has passed away, according to BBC Radio Leeds. https://twitter.com/BBCLeeds/status/644437041300811777

 

Edit: https://youtu.be/Pn4N43pRHBo

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

On 28/05/2013 at 08:09, Octopus of Odstock said:

Famous Gardeners (worthy of mention for DL/DDP purposes, so no Titchmarsh etc.):

Beth Chatto, b. 1923

Michael Hesletine is an arboriculturist.

Peter Cundall b. 1927

Roy Lancaster b. 1937

Art Drysdale b. 1939

whilst Peter Seabrook must be in his 80's by now?

Peter Cundall is 90 today:  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-01/peter-cundall-turns-90/8399918

[YoungWillz 20,952]

Beth Chatto has died: http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/gardens/our-blog/garden-news/beth-chatto-27th-september-1923-13th-may-2018.htm

 

DDP Pick.

[Death Impends 7,953]

4 hours ago, YoungWillz said:

Beth Chatto has died: http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/gardens/our-blog/garden-news/beth-chatto-27th-september-1923-13th-may-2018.htm

 

DDP Pick.

 

Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/may/14/beth-chatto-obituary

[YoungWillz 20,952]

Richard Haag, landscape architect and DDP (and others) pick, has reportedly died: https://tclf.org/tclf-mourns-loss-rich-haag

 

Way back in May, apparently.

[Joey Russ 7,218]

22 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Richard Haag, landscape architect and DDP (and others) pick, has reportedly died: https://tclf.org/tclf-mourns-loss-rich-haag

 

Way back in May, apparently.

Good luck with that obit Sir Creep...

[Sir Creep 7,069]

10 minutes ago, Joey Russ said:

Good luck with that obit Sir Creep...

WOO HOO 
Didn't I TELL you the DL Gods gave me that name DIDN'T I TELL YOU! 
Thank you DL Gods!
Your unworthy servant -- Sir Creep

(Edit -- the obit above should satisfy Hare's yes?)

 

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

On 28/05/2013 at 08:09, Octopus of Odstock said:

Peter Cundall b. 1927

Peter Cundall goes into early retirement at 91:

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-29/peter-cundall-retires-after-50-years-of-garden-talkback/10673154

[YoungWillz 20,952]

Well, he's only gone and done it!

 

Jim McColl, presenter of The Beechgrove Garden, is retiring. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-47963708

 

Failing grip in his hands, apparently. So difficult for a man at any age, that complaint.....

[YoungWillz 20,952]

Talking of gardeners, here's an Australian gardener who has been sucked into a woodchipper: https://www.thesun.ie/news/4525036/gardener-dies-as-hes-sucked-into-woodchipper-before-horrified-colleagues-returned-to-see-just-a-pool-of-blood/

 

Yikes.

[gcreptile 10,949]

According to Wikipedia, Lady Anne Barry, founder of Rosemoor Gardens, has died:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Anne_Berry

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RHS_Garden_Rosemoor

 

[YoungWillz 20,952]

Horticulturist and Gardeners' World presenter Mary Spiller reportedly dead at 95:

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2767797/

[time 8,579]

On 30/10/2019 at 12:24, YoungWillz said:

Horticulturist and Gardeners' World presenter Mary Spiller reportedly dead at 95:

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2767797/

Mary Spiller eventually getting a Times Obit. (paywalled, obv).

[gcreptile 10,949]

On 29/12/2018 at 06:55, Davey Jones' Locker said:

Peter Cundall goes into early retirement at 91:

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-29/peter-cundall-retires-after-50-years-of-garden-talkback/10673154

Peter Cundall has retired from life at 94:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-05/peter-cundall-gardening-australia-host-dies-aged-94/100675686

[Bentrovato 1,084]

Peter Seabrook now pushing up the daisies. Peter Seabrook dead: Legendary Sun gardening guru dies aged 86 (thesun.co.uk) 

[Vinegar Tits 605]

I used to work with him occasionally and he was lovely - I was the first person outside of friends and family to congratulate him on his MBE in fact. It was a real bind for him to lose his sense of smell around 20 years ago. Sad news.

[Sir Creep 7,069]

Peter Waister, one of the most senior scientists at the former Scottish Crop Research Institute at Invergowrie, has died aged 90.

He joined the institute in 1965 and during his 23 years of service held the positions of head of the crop sciences division, and head of the physiology and crop production department.

In retirement, he worked with former colleague Dr Chris North to breed lilies, which became known as the Mylnefield Lilies.

The bulbs were never sold commercially and are now held in a private collection in Perth by enthusiast Madeleine Tinson.

SC