May 1, 2018
Every spring for several years now, I take time to re-read the Frances Hodgson Burnett classic, “The Secret Garden”.
Although her other well-known book, “A Little Princess,” is actually my favorite, there’s definitely a wonderful rainy-day air about “The Secret Garden” that makes it perfect for reading in April or May. When it’s raining here in Seattle, I love reading about winds whistling across the moors, a lonely girl exploring a large house full of antiques and mysteries, and a walled garden waiting to be lovingly tended by small hands…
My favorite part of the book is the chapter where Mary finally finds the key and unlocks the gate to the hidden garden:
“The sun was shining inside the four walls and the high arch of blue sky over this particular piece of Misselthwaite seemed even more brilliant and soft than it was over the moor. The robin flew down from his tree-top and hopped about or flew after her from one bush to another. He chirped a good deal and had a very busy air, as if he were showing her things. Everything was strange and silent and she seemed to be hundreds of miles away from any one, but somehow she did not feel lonely at all. All that troubled her was her wish that she knew whether all the roses were dead, or if perhaps some of them had lived and might put out leaves and buds as the weather got warmer. She did not want it to be a quite dead garden. If it were a quite alive garden, how wonderful it would be, and what thousands of roses would grow on every side!”
Someday if I have a young grandchild, I’d like to set aside a portion of my large back yard for a secret garden they can explore and keep all their own. If we’re still living in the house I own currently, there’s a few tucked-away areas we could wall off with an attractive small fence (giving the child a bit of privacy for their playtime). Or there are a few flowerbeds that could be dedicated to a child’s garden.
If you enjoy gardening and have space in your yard, why not consider letting your child have a space to make all their own. It wouldn’t take much: they would need a spade small enough for their little hands, a small watering can light enough for them to carry, and tiny gardening gloves. They don’t need kneeling pads, gardening hats (just use any old sun hat), fancy boots (their other boots will do just fine), or expensive potting chairs. (Resist the temptation to run down to Target or Pottery Barn Kids and buy all the adorable children’s gardening supplies.)
Let them have a few colorful packets of seeds, a few starter plants, some potting soil, and a bit of your attention and help at first. Know when to help, and when to back off and let them get dirty, make a mess, and create their own garden plan.
We’ll be re-reading The Secret Garden over at Lovely Living University this May. Join us if that sounds fun!
