There was not much sun breaking through the clouds today.
This is quite useful when photographing white flowers like clematis Marie Boisselot as I did on my way to open the back gate for Aaron.
Geranium Palmatums and their attendant red fuchsias caught a touch of it as I walked along the Shady Path.
Bees were out early. This one still visited the ageing Festive Jewel in the Rose Garden into which I had been enticed by the magical scents that permeated the air.
A spider preferred to walk on the Blue Moon.
White beauties enjoying their time out of the limelight included Margaret Merril and Madame Alfred Carriere, sharing the entrance arch with Summer Wine.
Special Anniversary, Zéphirini Drouin, Absolutely Fabulous, and Mum in a Million all contributed their intriguing essences to the perfumed blend.
Despite its name the Sicilian Honey Garlic makes no apparent contribution to the mix.
Oriental poppies; libertia welcoming visiting bees; yellow irises; and red peonies enliven the borders of the Back Drive.
From a gentle amble through the garden I turn to the terrifying Moscow Show trials of the 1930s.
According to Wikipedia ‘The Moscow Trials were a series of show trials held in the Soviet Union at the instigation of Joseph Stalin between 1936 and 1938 against so-called Trotskyists and members of Right Opposition of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. There were three Moscow Trials: the Case of the Trotskyite-Zinovievite Terrorist Center (Zinoviev–Kamenev Trial, aka “Trial of the Sixteen,” 1936), the Case of the Anti-Soviet Trotskyist Center (Pyatakov–Radek Trial, 1937), and the Case of the Anti-Soviet “Bloc of Rights and Trotskyites” (Bukharin–Rykov Trial, aka “Trial of the Twenty-One,” 1938).
The defendants of these were Old Bolshevik party leaders and top officials of the Soviet secret police. Most defendants were charged under Article 58 of the RSFSR Penal Code with conspiring with the western powers to assassinate Stalin and other Soviet leaders, dismember the Soviet Union, and restore capitalism.
The Moscow Trials led to the execution of many of the defendants. They are generally seen as part of Stalin’s Great Purge, an attempt to rid the party of current or prior oppositionists, especially but not exclusively Trotskyists, and any leading Bolshevik cadre from the time of the Russian Revolution or earlier, who might even potentially become a figurehead for the growing discontent in the Soviet populace resulting from Stalin’s mismanagement of the economy.[citation needed] Stalin’s hasty industrialisation during the period of the First Five Year Plan and the brutality of the forced collectivisation of agriculture had led to an acute economic and political crisis in 1928-33, a part of the global problem known as the Great Depression, and to enormous suffering on the part of the Soviet workers and peasants. Stalin was acutely conscious of this fact and took steps to prevent it taking the form of an opposition inside the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to his increasingly autocratic rule.[1]‘
Several of the victims of these judicial farces were personally known to Arthur Koestler, the Hungarian born British novelist who penned ‘Darkness at Noon’ in their memory decades before Mikhail Gorbatchev, in the late 1980s, introduced Glasnost, thus beginning the democratisation of the Soviet Union.
I finished reading this important book for the second time today. Without naming either Stalin or the USSR the work describes the energy-sapping destruction of the will of previous leaders who were now out of favour and forced by torture to contribute to their own finding of guilt and subsequent execution. Koestler’s prose is simply elegant but he describes an atmosphere of destructive, erosive, terror in an incongruously readable manner. I don’t often knowingly read a book twice, but since Louis had been reading his copy on his recent stay with us, I was prompted to do so.
Daphne Hardy’s translation renders the book most accessible, and Vladimir Bukovsky’s introduction is eloquently informative.
George Buday’s belligerent, brooding, wood engravings brilliantly supplement the attritional ambience of Koestler’s work.
The boards are blocked with a suitably spare design by Sue Bradbury.
We are now driving over to Emsworth for a curry outing with Becky and Ian. I will report on that tomorrow.
Some truly gorgeous blooms, and Josef was NOT a nice man.
Thanks very much, Leslie
Very beautiful flowers. Great photos.
Thanks very much, Sandra
Those are proper flowers with a bit of history as an added extra. Thank you sir
Many thanks, Gary
Gorgeous flowers and an elegant Folio Society edition of an important book. Thank you, Derrick.
And thank you for reading and commenting, Clare
My pleasure, as ever, Derrick.
What a remarkable garden – but then again – you knew that already, didn’t you?! 🙂
What a remarkable garden – but then again – you knew that already, didn’t you?! 🙂
What a remarkable garden – but then again – you knew that already, didn’t you?! 🙂
What a remarkable garden – but then again – you knew that already, didn’t you?! 🙂
What a remarkable garden – but then again – you knew that already, didn’t you?! 🙂
What a remarkable garden – but then again – you knew that already, didn’t you?! 🙂
Thanks very much GP. We got this 7 times!
Yikes – another WP glitch?
Indeed
What a remarkable garden – but then again – you knew that already, didn’t you?! 🙂
What a thoroughly remarkable young man that Louis is! I don’t think I could read that book twice though! I am glad to have the chance to admire your garden this morning!
Thanks very much, Pauline. I had, of course, forgotten the book after almost 20 years
I can almost smell the fragrances wafting about that garden. I’m not sure I could handle that book right now. Politics have me feeling depressed.
Thanks very much Leslie. It was a set book for Louis’ exams
I have huge garden envy. Read some of Koestler’s autobiography but not fiction, it sounds fascinating. Wonderful engravings too.
Thanks very much, Libre
A shocking contrast between the garden beauty and the political mayhem.
Yes – somewhat like today. Thanks very much, Tootlepedal
I think I’ll revisit your garden, Derrick. It’s gorgeous!
Many thanks, Jill
I would much rather enjoy photos of your gorgeous flowers, Derrick, than be reminded of Stalin’s atrocities, but the book is, as you said, important, and illustrations are exceptional. Thank you for sharing it with the wide audience.
P.S. Gorbatchev’s first name is Mikhail, thus the logo of Russian Olympics – “Mishka Talisman.”
I thought very much about you when I posted this, Dolly. I am sorry to have stirred those memories. Of course, I got Gorbatchev’s name wrong. Going straight back to correct ir. Thank you very much
My pleasure, Derrick, and no need to apologize. Unfortunately, there are many people who are not aware of tragic historical events; they need to be educated. I am quite sure that I am similarly not aware of many tragic periods in history of other countries.
Understood
Looks like you took your own sweet time en route to open the gate at the back for Aaron. Darkness at Noon seems to be an exceptional book to which many have contributed passionately, the writer, the illustrator, the book designer and
the translator, not to speak of its protagonists. You may want to read this too: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/541184/secondhand-time-by-svetlana-alexievich/9780399588822/
Thanks very much, Uma – for the reading, comment, and link
So scary what power unscrupulous leader grab.. and how the populace just goes along with it out of either fear or a dipping into their own dark side. Love that raggedy clematis.
Thanks very much, Judy
Your flowers and plants are perfection, Derrick and Jackie! They bring beauty and joy to our world! Thank you! 🙂
And it seems the insects are enjoying the sweet flowers, too! 🙂
HUGS!!! 🙂
Thanks very much, Carolyn X
So many gorgeous roses – what a joy! Are the Ab Fabs the same as were in your recent foxglove pic??
Also you have some of my very favourite flowers – oriental (tulip) poppies! (You’ll see why in a couple of months on my blog!)
Like nananoyz i’m happy to ignore politics and political history for the time being. 😉
Thanks a lot, Bob. You are right about Ab Fabs
Thank You, Sir.
I couldn’t image the connection between your beautiful garden and Stalin’s Moscow Show Trials, until I got to the book, of course. Quite a contrast. I’ve not read the book, but it looks interesting.
I’ll be waiting to hear about your curry outing! (My mouth is watering.) 🙂
Thanks very much, Merril
What a stark contrast you painted today Derrick. The absolute lack of colour in the Show trial and the joy of the garden. I’ve never seen the Sicilian Honey Garlic.. Quite a beauty.
Thanks very much, Paol. It was such a contrast
A chilling time! The book sounds compelling, and the illustrations remind me of German expressionism.
A good parallel, Laurie. Many thanks
Exquisite blossoms and a rich Folio Society release of a significant book. Much thanks to you, Derrick. I can nearly smell the scents floating about that garden.
Thanks very much, Ranthambore
Darkness at Noon was one of my favourite books when I was younger. It must be a slightly different experience to read it alongside such powerful illustrations.
I love the picture of the pink rose and the way the light reflects from and around it.
Thank you very much, Susan