Let me tell you about the most wonderful garden in the world. Of course these are childhood memories.

I just longed to jump the picket fence into that fairytale garden. I wanted to walk along those white-pebbled paths meandering through lavender and pretty coloured daises; lush green lawn, bordered by tall lupins and lilac. I wanted to discover what was around the corners that I couldn’t see from my vantage point peering between the fence palings. I wanted to put my nose into that spicy smelling brown Boronia and drape the flowers from the wisteria trees around my head. I remember roses too – but not all in a row like you see growing in nurseries, everything was intermingled… but not overgrown.

The best part was the beautiful big willow tree beside a little lake and the perfectly painted wooden bridge arched over the fishpond.

It was usually when I was dawdling my way home, up the big hill after playing on the beach. I would be so hot, and that garden looked so cool and inviting. I used to wonder if that was what heaven looked like.

I theorise about that garden a few years later… was it so appealing to me because I knew I could never have it? Of course I now know that that’s not true… I can have that garden, or at least my own creation of it. I was just like any other child... imagination sparked by a pretty garden.

I was never blessed with children (at this stage you’re probably wondering what in heaven’s name am I doing lurking around a kids gardening forum... just a big kid I guess, prabably never really grew up!), but if I had been blessed, I would probably have tried to create something like this. Another thing that fascinated me as a child were mazes. I never had the chance to experience one though, as where I came from there was no such thing. I only ever saw them in books or in movies. But I dreamed about playing in one… even had a secret little name for them, ‘Amazing Mazes’.

Just thought I’d share this. Might give someone some ideas.

Best
Cathy
(aka Tomboy)

Holly

careytearose