This was a well-written book and therefore easy to read with excellent photographs of gardens and diagrams of planting schemes. It was published in 1987 so a number of years before the biography of Christopher Lloyd (2010). It was that book which prompted me to read about Lanning Roper.

Stephen Anderton who wrote the Christopher Lloyd book says on p.121 'Christopher Lloyd became especially enchanted with Lanning Roper whom he had met through the RHS... Christo often met Lanning Roper socially there [at Scotney Castle]... Enchantment led to infatuation and a relationship that was probably ended by Lanning.' Anderton also records that all that remains of Lanning Roper at Great Dixter is a photo with his (Lloyd's) 'few great loves.'

While Anderton had access to the Great Dixter archives and had access to the wisdom of an extra 23 years, it seems most odd that Jane Brown only mentions Lloyd once. That mention is indexed incorrectly under the name Lloyd, Patrick. It also needs to be recognised that the subject of the book is not Roper's life but rather his gardens and gardening. But I found the silence on Christopher Lloyd puzzling. ( )