Gardens are many things. An oasis for nature, a retreat from the outside world, a haven for blooms. But how has the LGBTQI+ community been involved with their design, upkeep and prominence throughout the years? How is queerness seen in the natural world? This November he will explore historic gardeners, queerness in ecology, luminaries in the field and how nature often challenges our misconceptions as to gender and identity in the natural world. From Prospect Cottage to Sissinghurst, to his own back garden in Bromley, these talks will examine the relationship between gardening and sexuality.
As well as being a historian and tour guide, Sheldon K Goodman is also passionate about gardening. He will give three talks looking at queerness in gardens from the work of gardeners, LGBTQI+ led community gardening initiatives in London, historical people such as Virginia Woolf, Reginald Farrer and Sir Francis Bacon and queer ecology’s roots in Michel Foucault’s The History of Sexuality (tr. Robert Hurley, 1978-2021, Pantheon Books) as well as queer gardening in the here and now. A note on the series title: Sheldon recognizes the history and contentiousness of the word ‘queer’. Originally an insult, it has been reclaimed by many in the LGBTQ community as a neutral description for a large and varied group of people.
The first session on November 25 is Queerness in Gardens. How important are gardens to LGBTQ+ identity? From community initiatives to national organizations and individuals seeking queerness in nature, how can these spaces affirm and bring solace to the history of horticulture? Have people who have been ostracized from society because of their orientation redirected this hurt into designing gardens?
With examples including landmark events in the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and 18th century same sex desire, hear how gardens have long provided an anchor for gender and identity. This Gardens Trust talk is £8 through Eventbrite, or £15.75 for the series. Register HERE Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days (and again a few hours) prior to the start of the first talk, and a link to the recorded session will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 1 week. Image: Derek Jarman’s garden at Dungeness, ©Marathon CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED
