Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Making a good impression?
Liverpudlian James Priest, 56, and a team of American volunteers are trying to restore Claude Monet’s five-acre garden at Giverny in Normandy, which receives 600,000 visitors a year, to the way it looked when Monet created his famous water lily impressions there in the late-19th century.
Everyone must be thrilled
Non. French gardeners, who have worked at Giverny since 1980, are put out by Priest’s grand vision despite his experience, which includes training at Kew Gardens and working on Baron Elie de Rothschild’s estate. “It is their garden, you are just an upstart who has come from abroad, and so what do you know,” says Priest, who has lived in France for 30 years.
Sacre Bleu!
Snails are causing an issue too. Since Priest was headhunted in 2011, masses of dead flowers and 10,000 snails have had to be removed each day.
So how will his garden grow?
Priest is “paintboxing” his flowers by arranging them in colour-coordinated blocks. This too has caused some trouble for the gardeners, who have gone about the planting “chaotically” by not sticking to his calibrated scheme. But Priest is determined to get the job done and vows to “stay as long as [he] can walk”.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments