The Secret Garden is a wonderful book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, a true English literature classic beloved by millions around the world that tells the tale of ten-year-old Mary Lennox who is transported back to England from India after her parents die in a cholera epidemic.
She finds herself living with her uncle on the Yorkshire moors in a stunning country house – which happens to have a secret garden hidden away that has remained untouched for years. And you’ll have to read the rest to find out what happens, if you’ve not come across the book before!
But it could serve as the perfect inspiration for your own secret gardens at home, your own secluded little oasis that only you know about. Naturally, Hodgson Burnett was inspired by nature herself when writing her book and, in fact, you can go and see the walled garden at Great Maytham Hall yourself, the very garden that helped her pen her masterpiece.
Head to Kent to find the hall, where the author once lived, and you’re sure to be in for a real gardening treat, no doubt coming away with ideas for your own little haven in nature.
To help get you started, however, here are a few top tips from the team here at LW Landscapes to point you in the right direction. Which of these ideas will you try out first?
Hide the entrance
This might seem obvious but you could overlook it or fail to design with it in mind, but the first step towards creating a true secret garden is to hide or disguise the entrance somehow, so anyone other than you will struggle to find it!
Plant wild and free
You might find it best design-wise to not be too formal with your planting and layout. A true secret garden would most likely be overgrown and beautiful in its natural form.
Choose lighting wisely
Don’t forget about what the garden will look like when the sun goes down! Think about how to light the space after dark, so it continues to feel magical and charming, no matter what time of day it is.