Monday, May 18, 2015

Garden Bench

Everyone else is doing it, so why can't I?
I'm posting flowers today.
Pictured here today we have some daffodils and a few other assorted spring flowers. This small garden is tucked away off to the left to the side of our garage. It is affectionately known to Elenka and me as the 'secret garden'. It's simple. Pretty wild. You can see a bench that was constructed with two pieces of the towering maple that once graced our front lawn. We had it cut down three falls ago. It was dying and was becoming just to dangerous to stand. In a good blow you could actually observe it coming apart. Anyway, we saved a few of the large stumps and made some benches. This is one. It sits under a spreading apple tree that is in full, pink-white full blossom bloom this morning. Why are we a bit hung up with the idea of a secret garden? We love the musical, "The Secret Garden". The musical is based on the novel by the same name written in 1911 by Frances Hodgson Burnett. We love the storyline. We love the music of course. 
We might be somewhat prejudice though. You see, when he was in the 5th grade, J- played Colin in the production. He even got to sing next to Jen and her stunning operatic voice. I teared up. So the 'secret garden' will always be near and dear to us. 


Colin put out his hand and laid it on his father’s arm.
“Aren’t you glad, Father?” he ended. “Aren’t you glad? I’m going to live forever and ever and ever!”
Mr. Craven put his hands on both the boy’s shoulders and held him still. He knew he dared not even try to speak for a moment.
“Take me into the garden, my boy,” he said at last. “And tell me all about it.”
The Secret Garden (1911)

20 comments:

  1. Secret gardens are an essential part of life Birdman.. discovering one is such a treat. Merci beaucoup for sharing yours with us..

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  2. Secret gardens are an essential part of life Birdman.. discovering one is such a treat. Merci beaucoup for sharing yours with us..

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  3. Spring just wouldn't be spring without flowers!

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  4. Don't we all love 'a secret garden'.
    MB

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  5. i like natural spaces - i like that you saved pieces of the tree for benches.

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  6. Wonderful flowers in your secret garden space. Your yard is coming alive.

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  7. Love the "secret garden." We had one in our first Ocala house...surrounded by high fences and bushes...filled with orange and grapefruit trees, among other things.

    BTW, you seem to know a lot about Italian shoes...makes me wonder...

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  8. We all need a secret place! Yours is lovely!

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  9. One of my favorite childhood books. How sweet about your son!! I'd love to see the musical. Flowers are sweet, no matter how many times we see them...

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  10. Makes me want to go upstairs to reread "The Secret Garden"...I still have lists of children's books that I refuse to give up, even to my grandkids. Got them their own. Used many of them to teach plot, metaphor, setting, characterization to high school kids. Speaking of trees, our neighbor has a HUGE maple that is scaring us half to death during wind storms. It's old, deteriorating, and full of animals, acting as homes for squirrels and an occasional nursery for raccoons. Guess we're going to have to call a Safety Agency since neighbors claim it's too expensive to remove. I could go on and on, but will close, admiring the flowers and bench in your post.

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  11. I like that book too and those daffodils are gorgeous! I had to take down several trees in my yard a couple of years ago because they were getting a bit too scary, especially during hurricane season.

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  12. With all that snow you had, I was wondering if you would ever have any flowers to bloom.

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  13. Our condo has the tiniest of back yards. No place for anything like this so we have to patronize the parks and let someone else take care o fit.

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  14. I love the idea of Secret Garden. Looks like you have a good one.

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  15. Very sweet! Secret gardens are very special. The flowers are beautiful; I like your maple bench.

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  16. What can I like more than a bench with a story?

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  17. Six weeks ago this was snow....

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  18. Beautiful flowers! I first read The Secret Garden in a children's lit class in university. I wished I'd read it years before.

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