The Secret Garden

A bee enjoys this flower around back. 

I spent all of my “down” time this summer reading garden novels. After plowing* through several whimsical garden stories I realized I hadn't read the garden story. The Secret Garden. How silly of me to consider myself a connoisseur of garden lit having never read such a classic! I lucked out and found a musty paperback version at the library for 50 cents. Although I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the neglected secret garden and reading about how Marry Lennox brought it back to life, I admit I found the story to be a little dry.

No matter, I’m glad I had the chance to read it. What I’m getting at here is the story inspired me to go out and find more secret gardens!(Read my story Lime to learn about a cool garden I discovered several years ago.)

It’s not easy to find a secret garden without trespassing (which I am known to do) but I actually found one right up the street! I was meeting a friend at a local biker bar/ Thai restaurant / karaoke joint and found myself 15 minutes early. Feeling too intimidated to go in and sit alone I decided to walk around the building and see if I could find anything interesting……

I was expecting to see a dumpster and an angsty employee smoking a cigarette but instead found something pretty neat! Tomato plants, pumpkin vines, herbs, and peppers lining the gravel area around back (most likely used in their AMAZING Thai dishes).

See the pumpkin?

 I kept walking further back......

Vines were tangled up everywhere mixed with flowering shrubs that looked terribly neglected. 


I was right about one thing though, there WAS a dumpster back there. Smack dab in the center of the forgotten beauty. I didn't take a picture of the dumpster though because when I looked up I saw an employee standing on top of it watching me. That is when the photo shoot ended.  

I’m not sure what is going on behind Lu and Joes, but I do know that I discovered another secret garden and I plan to keep looking for more!!


* no pun intended