The Secret Garden has always been magical in my eyes and even now at the age of 26 I wouldn't mind stumbling across a mysterious landscape, with overgrown bluebells and an old fashioned swing. There is a walled vineyard behind my house which, upon first glance, does emulate the film's version but I've never been in and I doubt it houses the fantasy I've envisioned. Maybe the fascination with this cosy movie has nothing to do with a pretty garden, maybe it's actually a nod to todays obsession with voyeurism. Reality tv shows are rife and we can all admit that at one time or another we've nosily looked around a house for sale, not because we plan on buying but purely because we're curious. The Secret Garden is also very British in my eyes, it reflects a very elegant era that for some reason I always associate with proper afternoon tea.
Today I'm heading out to Regents Park to play croquet. This makes me sound like I am entering a professional croquet tournament. I'm not. I'm just planning on playing it whilst I'm there. This also makes me sound incredibly sophisticated "Oh yes darling, well no darling I can't meet today darling, I'm playing croquet on the lawn darling". See, elegantly British. This long drawn out introduction has a point, I promise.
Therefore I bring you my British/Secret Garden themed Something for the Weekend...
Unfortunately the weather's not looking too perky this weekend, unfortunate for some of the offerings I'll be mentioning below (and my croquet session) but quite apt for Britain. Can you believe it I've even managed to supply truly British rainy weather for this blog post. Woop!
So, if you fancy yourself as a bit of a Mary Lennox then you want to head to London this weekend for your very own Secret Garden adventure. Gardens all over the city, that are usually closed to the publics prying eyes, will be opening up their gates. You'll get to wander around some beautifully tended oasis' of the floral variety, with some even providing entertainment. There's even the possibility of visiting prison gardens....hmm...not sure of the allure of this one, they may not want to headline with this. Check out this site to grab all the information. They have a wonderful little key beside each garden that highlights if you can picnic there, whether there are any activities and for what age group, if dogs are allowed, if you have to purchase tickets for entry and of course a Secret Garden-esque key to emphasise whether the location is usually closed to the public.
My pick would be, The Goring Hotel, which of course will most likely be the most populated, due to it being the recent witness of the Duchess of Cambridge blossoming, from Kate Middleton, into her now rather grand title. There's also a couple of gardens featuring singers from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art which I think you should check out purely because I teach LAMDA Acting at the weekend, so I can guarantee the performances will be great *wink wink*.
If you're too far away or simply aren't fancying the trip back into the big smoke, why not create your own Secret Garden festivities with a gathering of your nearest and dearest to sip tea and scoff scones. My mum and I threw a garden party last year for my Godfather, for some fun ideas why not check out the "how to" here.
Or if all else fails and the weather is horrifically grotty then why not cosy up at home with your tea and cake, The Secret Garden in the DVD player, with this adorable tea cup candle from Mor burning in the background, available in House of Fraser for £50.50...
*Images taken from http://www.imdb.com/ and http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/
lovely blog :)
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