Ever heard of a tussy-mussy or a tuzzy-muzzy? It is apparently a term for a posy or nosegay of flowers. Victoria Sackville-West, one of the great and most individual writers about gardening of this half of the century, wrote in her column in the Observer way back in 1950 that the Oxford Dictionary "disobligingly" declared the term to be obsolete. "But," she writes, "it is a charming word and one I have always used and intend to go on doing so, whatever the great Oxford Dictionary may say." These and other splendid pieces of information and opinion to gardening come from a Christmas present of "In Your Garden" by Victoria Sackville-West, now on tape, read convincingly by Janet McTeer who, we are told, works in theatre, film, television and radio.
It is all a very personal approach to gardening, lively, learned and superior. The voice of the reader gives back what may well have been the tones of the gardener herself. There are two tapes on Autumn and Winter and two on Spring and Summer. It is ideal listening when you would like to drift effortlessly to sleep, for the wit and learning stamp every item; it is droll and reassuring. And you know that if you go to sleep listening, you can replay at your leisure. She can be firm. Tells you how to make your own snail and slug-killer. this may be unkind to snails, "but one has to make one's choice." Her standards are very high. You would suspect that most of the listeners fall short of hers. We will see as time goes on - the Spring and Summer tapes have just been begun. In the Nineties we seem much more concentrated on food and its trimmings.
The other night Sophie Grigson - that very good writer on fruit and vegetables - eatables for growing, in general - had a lot to say about herbs which just now is most topical. For, if your great standby is chives, as so many find, the new growth will already be up a few inches. It helps greatly to strengthen and speed them if you spread about an inch of these multi-purpose light composts around them. Tastes vary and Grigson is very much for coriander and basil. Others stick to a basic selection of, say, chives, parsley (flat and curled), winter savory which lasts for years, with chervil as the number one of all. It, surprisingly survives frost and snow. You can't have enough of it. After that take your pick. The tapes are produced by Cover to Cover Cassettes Ltd.