The Secret Garden

In the middle of a park near my house, there’s a beautiful walled garden. As a kid, I’d love to go there because it always reminded me of The Secret Garden: despite the fact it’s completely open to the public, there was something special about this cross between woods and sculpted gardens.

It’s become considerably more overgrown in the past few years: a pond that used to be completely covered in water lilies is barely visible through the vegetation and you can simply step over what used to be a tiny maze. It still hasn’t lost any of its peace and tranquility though and I took time to try and find the hidden ornaments I remembered. The totem pole in the forest section had sadly fallen down but for the first time I noticed the beautiful detail in the metal gate leading to the main field. I’ve never seen it unlocked.

I particularly liked the newest statue of a woman holding up a bowl to the sky: when it rains, water will overflow and pour down onto the figure.

The area by the entrance also contained a small herb garden with so many varieties of mint – I spotted Peppermint and even Eau de Cologne mint! While there were still many beautiful plants, autumn had taken its toll and it’s unlikely I’ll return before Spring now. I’m looking forward to seeing the new life emerge.