“If you have a garden and a library,
you have everything you need.”
Marcus Tullius Cicero
“Two things cannot be in one place.
Where you tend a rose, my lad,
a thistle cannot grow.”
Frances Hodgson Burnett, “The Secret Garden”
Courtesy of SchnurpselsBacke, the Soundtrack Suite from The Secret Garden (1993) by Zbigniew Preisner:
The Secret Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett
24th November 1849 – 29th October 1924
Courtesy of 8SA – Books, Biographies and Literature:
Frances Hodgson (later Burnett) emigrated with her family from Manchester, England, to Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1865, when she was sixteen years old. She soon embarked on a writing career that would make her one of the most successful authors of the era and beyond. Her fame rests not on many plays and novels she wrote but on her three books intended for children but loved by readers of any age. The three books were: Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden. As an author, she had a great gift for vivid characterisation of both virtue and villainy, the atmospheric dramatisation of fairy-tale-like reversals of fortune, a feel for the emotional pull of a sharply defined narrative, and the important, happy ending. She was a storyteller whose creations were loved by the movie makers. All her books have been adapted several times for the screen.
Suite from “The Victorian Kitchen Garden” by Paul Reade, I. Prelude. Andante pastorale, performed by Michael Collins (clarinet) and Michael McHale (piano):
The Secret Garden story begins in India, with a sickly, plain, moody Mary Lennox. She is unloved by her beautiful mother. Mary has been raised by servants who had done nothing but indulged the child in order to appease her petulance. Orphaned by cholera, she is shipped off to England to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven, an equally ill-tempered person whose slight hunchback symbolises his broken heart, embittered by his profound mourning for his wife, who died in an accident. Craven’s home, Misselthwaite Manor, is also an emblem of a closed and inhospitable existence: “The manor is six hundred years old,” Mrs. Medlock, the head of the household staff, tells Mary, “and there’s near a hundred rooms in it, though most of them’s shut up and locked.”
Soon after arriving on the estate, Mary stumbles upon a walled garden that’s been locked and abandoned since the death of Mrs. Craven. Unbeknownst to anyone, Mr. Craven has buried the key; Mary, guided by a helpful robin, unearths it and surreptitiously rejuvenates the dormant plot, creating – with the help of her maid Martha and Martha’s resourceful young brother Dickon – an oasis in the midst of Misselthwaite’s detached atmosphere that would not only nurture Mary’s emotional flowering but restore the health of her invalid cousin and rouse her uncle from his profound grief.
Courtesy of Gardman:
The story is full of metaphors and a heartwarming faith in the magic of nature and friendship. This extraordinary tale of perseverance, restoration, and redemption, influenced my life like no other book or person has ever done. The Secret Garden has been adapted many times as a play, musical, and movie. The Broadway 1991 production was nominated for seven Tony Awards, winning two. The best film version is one directed by Agnieszka Holland.
Courtesy of Classical Girl Child Stars:
In 1936, Frances Hodgson Burnett was paid tribute by the installation of a memorial fountain in Central Park’s Conservatory Garden. In the middle of a reflecting pool, a reclining Dickon plays the flute for Mary, who holds a bowl that serves as a birdbath:
Courtesy of quoteny:
I cannot recommend reading The Secret Garden strongly enough.
This is only visual proof of how profoundly this book influenced my life, the message about Magic of Nature is engraved upon my heart and in my soul.
Here is an extract from The Secret Garden:
“And the roses – the roses! Rising out of the grass, tangled round the sundial, wreathing the tree trunks, and hanging from their branches, climbing up the walls and spreading over them with long garlands falling in cascades – they came alive day by day, hour by hour. Fair fresh leaves, and buds – and buds – tiny at first, but swelling and working Magic until they burst and uncurled into cups of scent delicately spilling themselves over their brims and filling the garden air.”
“And this was not the half of the Magic. The fact that he had really once stood on his feet had set Colin thinking tremendously, and when Mary told him of the spell she had worked, he was excited and approved of it greatly. He talked of it constantly.
“Of course, there must be lots of Magic in the world,” he said wisely one day, “but people don’t know what it is like or how to make it. Perhaps the beginning is just to say nice things are going to happen until you make them happen, I am going to try and experiment. When I grow up I am going to make great scientific discoveries and I am going to begin now with this experiment. The great scientific discoveries I am going to make,” he went on, “will be about magic. Magic is a great thing, and scarcely anyone knows anything about it except a few people in the old books – Mary a little because she was born in India, where there are fakirs. I believe Dickon knows some Magic, but perhaps he doesn’t know he knows it. He charms animals and people. I would never have let him come to see me if he had not been an animal-charmer – which is boy-charmer too, because a boy is an animal. I am sure there is magic in everything, only we have not sense enough to get hold of it and make it do things for us – like electricity, and horses, and steam.”
“When Mary found this garden it looked quite dead, then something began pushing things up out of the soil and making things out of nothing. One day things weren’t there and another they were. I have never watched things before, and it made me feel curious. Scientific people are always curious, and I am going to be scientific. I keep saying to myself: “What is it? What is it?” It is something. It can’t be nothing! I don’t know its name, so I call it Magic. I have never seen the sun rise, but Mary and Dickon have, and from what they tell me I am sure that it is Magic too. Something pushes it up and draws it. Sometimes since I have been in the garden I’ve looked up through the trees at the sky and I have had a strange feeling of being happy as if something were pushing and drawing in my chest and making me breathe fast.”
“Everything is made of Magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people. So it must be all around us. In this garden all around us. In this garden – in all places. The Magic in this garden has made me stand up and I know I am going to live to be a man. I am going to make the scientific experiment of trying to get some and put it in myself and make it push and draw me strong. I don’t know how to do it, but I think that if you think keep thinking about it and calling it perhaps it will come. When I was going to try to stand up that first time Mary kept saying to herself as fast as she could, “You can do it! You can do it! and I did. Every morning and evening and as often in the daytime, I am going to say “Magic is in me! Magic is making me well! And you must all do it, too. This is my experiment.”
“Winter Light” by Linda Ronstadt (courtesy of Mr.Oldies):
naturetails 
One of my favorite books! I so loved this peek at the author and her timeless story. ❤
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Thank you, Layla, for your wonderful comments! You made my evening! Just in case you don’t know, unless you read my other posts about gardening, the picture of the tsunami of roses in front of the house is from my house, influenced by The Secret Garden.
Thank you again, Layla, greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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Thank you Joanna for another great article! 💚🍀
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Greetings. Has any other book influenced you as much, and made as deep an impression upon you, as The Secret Garden?
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No, this is the book which provided my philosophy of life and my love of nature. The picture of the tumbling roses in front of the house is from my house and it is influenced by the roses in the secret garden in the book.
Joanna
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Thank you, Filipa, for you kind comment. Greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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You have a beautiful garden Joanna!
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It is easy to see where your love of gardening and especially growing roses, has come from! As with all good gardeners, you show us your love of growing and tending flowers and all plants, and the magic that can be gained from reading exceptional books. Have a wonderful weekend, Joanna 🌹🏵🌹🌸🌷🌹💓💌
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Thank you, Ashley, for your wonderful comments! This book also gave me understanding of wildlife and my friend robin comes to the house to exchange the gossip about the happenings in the garden.
Thank you again, Ashley, greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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PS. Same to you, Ashley, and thank you for all the emoji of roses!
Joanna
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Such a delightful post Joanna, and lovely photos of your marvellous roses. I have a David Austin catalogue beside me at the moment. There is always room somewhere to add another rose! I think we are all capable of a little magic, if only we can discover how to unleash it. It may be as simple as smiling at a stranger or saying a cheery hello to someone. Thank you once again Joanna!
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Thank you, Peter, for your wonderful comments! So do I! David Austin’s roses are beyond good!
I asked my friend robin, and he told me there is magic in the garden everywhere, inside the petals of any rose, among the bluebells and in sky above…
Thank you, Peter, your words are greatly appreciated!
Joanna
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If we allowed ourselves to get back in touch with Nature, I believe we would learn the most extraordinary things. Which I think is the message. You have made a great presentation in honour of a cherished author. Lovely music and images. Thank you Joanna!
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Thank you, Carolyn, for your lovely comments! That is the message of the book; nature is healing and brings the magic in our lives.
Thank you again, Carolyn, for your words that are greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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It really is a magical book, Joanna! Timeless and ageless. I reread it a few months ago and was enchanted.
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Thank you so much, Harini, for your wonderful comment! I am so happy that you experienced the magic of this book and its message! Thank you!
Joanna
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I absolutely love this post Joanna. I never knew anything about this story until fairly recently when I was searching for some music of a favourite duo of mine called – you’ve guessed it – Secret Garden. I’ve never read the book or seen the film, but I can see that it sums you up perfectly. At one with nature with a touch of sparkling magic thrown in, and I detected that those pictures are of your own Secret Garden which, if it is, looks delightful. Nothing much more to add really except to say thank you for sharing your world with us. It was wonderful.
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Thank you, Malc, for your wonderful comments! I wish I could persuade you to read the book or see the film as this would give you an understanding of why and how I was directed to a path in life to follow. The cascading roses in front of the house are mine, as is the house. T message that nature heals is timeless and true.
Joanna
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This is your post, Joanna, by you and for you and for so many like you. The opening line by Cicero…if you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.. has been imbibed in your flesh and blood both in letter and spirit. So it’s no mystery why this book has impacted your life like no other. We could also catch a glimpse of your beautiful garden.
It is heartening to note that the story of Burnett’s The Secret Garden has an Indian connection as well. The beauty of the story is the transition from a spoiled child to a loving and friendly one. Robin and the roses are symbols that have been used meticulously. I also love the main characters and theme of the story.
Thank you so much, Joanna, for this wonderful post, and the videos are also awesome as always.
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Thank you, Kaushal, for your wonderful comments! I am more than happy that this book inspired a million of others. Perhaps, if all likeminded people join hands in their efforts toplan
to plant and plant some more, the mother Earth will be saved.
Thank you again, Kaushal!!
Joanna
PS. My laptop is disbihaving again, apologies if my reply is somewhere not right.
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You’re welcome, Joanna! And I do agree with your view to plant more. Take care of your noughty laptop, it loves to play pranks on you.
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I know where you’re coming from Joanna.
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Good!
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I love that quote, Joanna, and this is such a lovely post and one of my favorite books as well. When I read about the roses, I thought of my mom who has passed away. She had the most beautiful rose garden that she and my dad tended to daily. Thank you for the precious memory and for another beautiful post.
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This post has been a joy from start to finish. And Cicero – this quote could be the anthem for my life. Thank you so much, Joanna! 🙂❤️🌺
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Thank you for your wonderful comments! It looks as we could be soulmates!
In my garden, I have a plague, a copy of the Roman inscription from an arch in Rome:
“Who plants a garden, plants happiness”.
Thank you again, greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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It’s an amazing post, Joanna. The Secret Garden is indeed a classic that has captured the hearts of readers for generations, and I agree that everyone should read it. The quotes you provided from the book showcase the beauty and wonder of nature and the power of positive thinking.
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Thank you, Ritish, for your wonderful comments! You summarised the book and my post perfectly!
I hope thar you noticed that the tsunami of roses in front of the house are mine, as is the house, and they show what the secret garden’s roses looked like when first seen by Mary.
Thank you again, Ritish, and your words are greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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This post has been a joy from the initial quote to the conclusion.
The book is wonderful and the images, videos and music you have shared are outstanding❣️❣️❣️
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Thank you, Dear Luisa, for wonderful comments! With the readers like you, my work is a joy to behold!
Big thank you!
Joanna
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You are too kind, my dear Joanna 🤗
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I am only stating the fact!
Joanna
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🙏🙏🙏
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Soulmates, indeed! My library is in storage while I have been traveling the last year and a half, and I mourn for my books daily. Kindle is just NOT the same. And yes, I miss my garden terribly, too. Yours looks like paradise, Joanna. 🙂🌺
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Thank you! Just wh
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It’s a full package post.
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love the quotes Joanna and your wonderful tribute of , Frances Hodgson Burnett. What a gift and I loved The Secret Garden which is such a classic and touches young and old.
Great photos and videos as always, Thank you so much! ❣️
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Thanks for sharing this article. Anita
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Tnank you, Anita, for your kind comment. Greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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Stunning share Joanna, thank you so much.
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Thank you, Henrietta, for your lovely comments! Greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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Thank you, Stewart, for your wonderful comments! They always give me the impetus to write more, thank you!
The Secret Garden not only had the profound influence on my life but also on lives of million of others who read it.
Joanna
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Part I: I loved the slide show of still images of nature scenes displayed with the music from Sound Track Suite from The Secret Garden. The reflected waterfall in the 3 tiny drops of water caught by plant leaves was a clever photographic detail. The next audio track from “The Victorian Kitchen Garden” with clarinet and piano is equally enchanting.
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Part II: The fountain sculpture in the Central Park’s Conservatory Garden of Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden pays tribute to the book’s author. Coincidentally, I visited this fountain over the weekend of March 4th when I was in the area. And your garden, Joanna, with an abundance of multiflora roses outside your door must bring new happiness each year when they come into bloom. This is another masterpiece created in celebration of the natural world. Joanna, thank you for your gift of giving this richness to others. Stewart
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Thank you Joanna for another great post my friend! 💗
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Thank you, Cindy, for your lovely comments! Greatly appreciated!
Joanna xxx
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You’re so welcome Joanna! Always a highlight! 💗
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You are so kind, Cindy!
Joanna
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💞 Stay well and take good care! 💞
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I will do my best!
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