Letter from Alfred Parsons to William Robinson

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Written from the Swan Inn, Lechlade, [Gloucestershire]. Manuscript

He is still working here, not with any success yet; he does not know why, as the country is lovely and there are many flowers by the river; but he does not feel in tune with anything; the river flowers are better than usual this year as there have been no floods; meadowsweet, loosestrife and other wild flowers are in bloom; if Robinson has time and wants a feast of wild flowers, he should go to Minety Station and take the path over Berry Hill; there is a green lane there which would be a good model to explain the idea of the wild garden, and there are fields of different colours; he invites Robinson to visit and walk there with him; there is a flower and vegetable show here today; Jefferies of Cirencester is showing some roses, and has promised to send some plants if they flower well; they had a large family party on the bank holiday, and they all visited Longleat; Berty goes to South America soon; Parsons asks, were he to go to America in the autumn, if there is anything he could do there for Robinson to earn some money; he would like to publish a book of wild flower illustrations but it would involve time and expense as he would like it to be better than Ann Pratt or Bentham; he asks Robinson for his opinion; he sees that gardening is to replace crewel work as an occupation for fine ladies; he is going to do an evening sketch

Dated 4 Aug, no year [?1882; Parsons stayed at The Swan, Lechlade, in Aug 1882. See PhD thesis 'Landscape-Painter as Landscape-Gardener: The Case of Alfred Parsons RA' / by Nicole Milette]

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