Wednesday 7 October 2009

Doorways: The Secret Garden


I adored Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden when I was a child, and walking around the walled gardens at West Dean College at the weekend made me feel as if I was in that mysterious Yorkshire garden. The feeling was cemented when I came across this door, guarding realms forbidden to the hoi polloi. What interesting items are hidden away out of site?

6 comments:

  1. I've had fantasies about attending West Dean College to work on a Master's degree in fibre arts. However, as the cost is prohibitive, the image of a steadfastly closed door in a brick wall is appropriately symbolic for me.

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  2. I write on little pieces of paper the sorrows I must release. I roll them up like little scrolls, then put them in a special box whose whereabouts only I know. I call it my god box. Once in while, I go and look at them. And I find little miracles have happened.

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  3. Such an interesting contrast between the willow and the hard little black door.

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  4. I too loved The Secret Garden as a child. Growing up in desert-like southern California, I could only imagine the lush greenery of an English garden. SoCal is dead, dry and brown most of the time.

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  5. louciao - Tell me about it. I was interested in their book conservation course, but the fees are insane.

    Kathleen - That's a good idea. I might try it, although I fear I would lose the box.

    Tina -

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  6. Right, let's start again...

    Tina - Thanks. I hadn't really analysed the photo that much as I'd been so taken with the secret garden angle so that's made me reasses it, which has been quite interesting.

    Pat - One of the first things that struck me when I came back from China was how GREEN England in, the countryside can look like it's been covered in green paint in the spring to early autumn.

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