LILIES - RHS Lily Group

view of the world’s events.
During World War 2, he was
in naval intelligence, alongside
Commander Ian Fleming, later
author of the James Bond series,
where he helped provide the
model for 007. This justifies
the witticism that was current
between his friends, “but are you
more greenfinger or Goldfinger? ”
After naval intelligence he
was diplomat, Tory MP, Under
Secretary of State, and, lastly,
Secretary General of the Council
of Europe. He was a passionate
European along the lines
expressed by Winston Churchill,
but his opinions clashed with
those of Anthony Eden.
He found comfort away from
his political life in gardening.
Sir Peter and Lady Smithers
at Vico Morcote in October 2001
A keen interest in plants and gardens was always a constant in his life since
his school days. Everywhere he went, in Washington, Mexico, Winchester,
Strasbourg, and finally in Vico Morcote he gardened. In Vico Morcote he created
a small eco-system of magnolias, peonies, rhododendrons, wisterias, lilies and
countless magnificent plants.
I met Peter for the first time, 30 years ago; I desired to know more about
peonies than I could find at that time in books which were scarce and dated from
the beginning of the [twentieth] century. A mutual British friend said to me “but
there is Smithers who knows everything about peonies”!
He became my Mentor in the world of peonies but not only that. As a gift for
his 90 th birthday I translated into Italian his book The adventures of a gardener
and with some friends we succeeded in publishing it: he was really enthusiastic
about it.
Sir Peter Smithers gardened for nearly 80 years. He made remarkable gardens
in Hampshire, Mexico, Strasbourg, Lugano and West Palm Beach. He grew an
impressively wide range of genera, he collected extensively and bred many new
plants.
I mourn a friend, a great gardener and, without rhetoric, a master of living
– we say in Italy, magister vitae.
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