teaser tuesday

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Rather than pick up the book I’m reading now for my two Teaser Tuesday lines, I went to my bookshelf and pulled out The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodson Burnett. As a young reader, it was one of the first novels I read and I haven’t looked at it for many years. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I’ve ever read the actual book in my hands, I bought it just so I would have a copy in my library. I hope my future granddaughter is a reader. I would love to have her wander into my den and pick up this book someday, then ask me what it’s about and whether I liked it. When I opened the book this morning my eye went right to this wonderful line, “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.”

I’ve been working outside a lot for the past few days, weeding and planting flowers in my own garden. We’re making a lot of major changes in the landscaping around the house this year, taking down many old trees and shrubs. There are times in our lives when we don’t want change, when we perhaps get a little too comfortable with the way things are. This spring, I felt like I needed to shake things up a bit. While Mr. bookbabie was concerned about cutting down the overgrown trees, I couldn’t wait to have them gone. I wanted to cut out all the old growth around our property and let in more light, start over again with new trees and shrubs and a whole new color palette for the flowers. Perhaps it’s silly, but I think a part of me hopes that this landscape makeover will also help makeover my spirit, cutting out the old dead growth and letting in a rainbow of fresh new light 🙂

12 thoughts on “teaser tuesday”

  1. What a wonderful posting..i too loved “The Secret Garden”, and always longed for my very own. Unfortunately now i live 4 floors up!! and just have to envy people with ANY garden.

  2. Secret Garden was a favorite childhood book. Nice choice. It’s been raining so much here I haven’t gotten much gardening done yet.

  3. I have never read The Secret Garden, but after some recent blog activity with this one, I’m thinking that I need to. Good luck with your landscaping endeavors!

  4. Hi Lilli, “Secret Garden” was the first book I read from cover to cover as a child. Wish I had a copy of it now… I used also to have all of the Bobsey Twins books –but got rid of them along the way… GEE–there are so many things I wish I still had NOW… In my younger years, I didn’t want them anymore. Oh Well!!!!

    Good Luck with your yard… Sounds like it will be almost totally new–without the large trees. We still have LOTS of shade trees around (none are dead)–and I don’t want to get rid of any of them until I have to. My hubby though would love to hsave more sun in the yard–for his roses.

    Have a great day.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

  5. It’s so great to pull out the old favorites from childhood. They bring a certain comfort but they also recapture that childish excitement as well. Thanks for the reminder.

  6. A stroll down memory lane – how pretty it was too! We’ve done the same to our yard this year – letting in the sun so we can have some new growth. Good remedy for the soul too.

  7. “The Secret Garden” has long been a favorite of mine, too. I have it on a prominent place on the bookshelves in the guest room/library in hopes that my granddaughter will do as you hope your future granddaughter will do — wander in, pick it up, and ask about it.

    Beautiful photo. I can understand wanting to shake things up and the urge to let in the light. May that rainbow of fresh light help all of your gardens grow. 🙂

  8. Sounds really good. You were a wise woman to hang onto that. I only have 2 books from my childhood. One of them is now 60 years old. Happy anticipation for that grandchild. Have a great week and happy reading. My teaser is here

  9. I have actually never read the entire Secret Garden, I found the book at my grandmother’s house. The book missed a couple of pages, now I have a audiobook copy of the book and I’m looking forward to listen to it.

    I’m looking forward to make some flowerbeds, we’re still in the process of sawing lawn and all I have in my garden is a couple of berries bushes and two Rhododendrons(I love them!).

    I see that it’s only weeks away for your family to have a new family member! How exiting!

  11. I love the secret garden and re-read it on a regular basis. What a delight to find another admirer. The photo you posted is so lovely. Good luck with your garden. We are working on ours also. I hope you will post pics when you are done!

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