A Conversation Set to Flowers: Beyond the Origins of Kew Gardens

Abstract

The mystery of whether Katherine Mansfield inspired Virginia Woolf's story 'Kew Gardens,' has long been of interest to both Woolf and Mansfield scholars. This article returns to this contested question, but rather than focusing on the issue of attribution, it explores what appears to be a ferment of interest surrounding gardens as a literary theme. It argues that Mansfield, Woolf, and their mutual friend, Ottoline Morrell, were discussing their work with one another during the summer of 1917, and were all choosing to write about gardens during this period. This article asks why these three women were interested in gardens as a subject, and demonstrates the degree to which they were sharing ideas.