Garden Futures: Derek Jarman’s letter

Derek Jarman Letter Transcript
Ref: CHA/6/1

Prospect Cottage
Dungeness Road
Dungeness Kent

Dear Beth Chatto

This is the years tally – in a radius of a mile around the ness from my house

Sea kale, red and white valerian, sea campion, woody nightshade, plantains, birds foot trefoil, star of Bethlehem (this has run wild around an old wartime bunker), creeping buttercup, scarlet pimpernel cinquefoil, hounds tongue, yellow rocket, ivy leafed toad flax, toad flax, hop trefoil, Nottingham catch fly, rest harrow, camomile, white and red clover, common stalks bill, mouse eared hawkweed, dodder, broom, yellow rattle, vipers bugloss, poppy, good king henry, yellow horned poppy, ragged robin, willow herb, musk mallow, foxglove, agrimony, alkanet, lesser convolvulus, sea pea, wood sage, stone crop, dog rose, elder, ragwort, thistles, dead nettle, scabious, yarrow, bedstraw, tufted vetchling, –

I’ve spent rather too much time in London to be sure this list is complete. But it does give you some idea of the plants that struggle to grow here. Earlier in the year there are violets in the wood at the back and small patches of primroses and wild pansy – also the periwinkle. I’m so glad you stopped off at Prospect Cottage.

Best wishes,
Derek Jarman

(Annotation from Beth Chatto in blue pen)

‘n’ added to Jarman’s signature
‘I visited his garden with Christopher Lloyd on Sunday 24^th June 1990.’