Gardener to the King: A NovelIn this world of pomp and show, one man remains detached from the procession of servants soldiers, politicians, diplomats, flatterers, and self-seekers that daily surrounds the King. As gardener to His Majesty, Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie is master of his own domain, the royal fruit and vegetable garden. Louis' generals might proclaim the power of France abroad, but La Quintinie's espaliers and vegetable plots assert nothing less than man's mastery over nature: a garden that can feed a thousand at a sitting, standards of pruning that in three hundred years have never been surpassed. Once a lawyer who turned his back on a brilliant career to pursue his love of horticulture, La Quintinie became, in the process, as artist. |
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Alsace apartments arms arrived asked asparagus beds Bontemps branches Brinvilliers château clouds coach cold Condé corridors court courtiers courtyard cried crowd d'Ardeville Dancourt dear La Quintinie death despite door Dorbay earth Elector of Brandenburg everything eyes fear footmen forget fountains fruit and vegetables fruit trees gardener's going Grand Grand Condé greenhouse hand hear heard hurried insects Jean-Baptiste King King's kitchen garden knew La Voisin labourers lives looked Louis Louvre Lully Madame Madame de Maintenon Madame de Sévigné Majesty Mansart manure marble Marquise Mascaron Monsieur Morin morning Namour Neuville never night Niort Olivier de Serres once papier-mâché Paris peasants Philippe plants Quintinie's recognise Saint-Germain-en-Laye seemed seen shouting silence Sire sometimes soon suddenly talking tell things thought thousand told Turenne turned vanished Versailles voice waiting walls weather weeks whole wind window women workmen worried wrote