Delving into Elizabeth’s Passion for Plants
Posted
19th March 2025
in blog, Blogs & News, Garden, Gaskell House Blogs
Elizabeth Gaskell’s passion for nature was an integral part of her life. She often spoke of the comfort she found in her garden, which provided her with a sanctuary away from the demands of family and writing. Elizabeth’s correspondence with friends reveals her deep affection for plants and flowers, describing her garden as a space that allowed her to unwind and find solace. In a letter, she confided, ‘I find the garden the best of all my remedies…it soothes me and takes me out of myself.‘ This sense of calmness and retreat was central to her life-long bond with the natural world.
At her home in Manchester, Elizabeth cultivated a variety of plants, ranging from flowers to vegetables, and she took immense pleasure in watching them grow. Gardening became more than just a hobby for her; it was a way to nurture her spirit and regain balance, especially during times of personal unrest. Her love for nature was also deeply connected to her sense of place, with her garden serving as a reflection of her thoughts and emotions.
This personal connection to nature is paralleled in her novels, where landscapes often mirror the inner turmoil or peace of her characters. In Wives and Daughters (1866), for instance, nature serves as a backdrop to the emotional development of Molly Gibson, whose communion with the natural world offers her consolation in difficult times. Similarly, in North and South (1854), Margaret Hale’s appreciation for the rural countryside stands in stark contrast to the industrialised, polluted environment of the mill town, highlighting Elizabeth’s belief in nature as a source of personal fulfilment and emotive clarity.
Elizabeth’s bond with nature not only shaped her personal life but also informed her writing, where nature often symbolised the fruits of the spirit, including inner peace, personal growth, and emotional healing.
Blog by Caroline Malcolm-Boulton
As well as being a big fan of North and South, Caroline is a freelance writer, journalist and published fanfiction writer. She can be found on Facebook as The Scribbler CMB and you can read an extended versions of this article on Caroline’s blog.
