It's summer and as I walk through my neighborhood I see a great variety of gardens, from those that take a lot of work, to those are designed to be easy to maintain, to a very few that have been made into parking spots.

Like many of us (I'm pretty sure), I read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett at a young age. Orphaned by the cholera outbreak in India, Mary Lennox is sent to live with her Uncle in England. She finds a neglected garden behind a wall. That's it, that's all I'm saying! If you've read it, you know how it turns out, if not, you are in for a treat! In 1991 Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon turned the book into a Tony Award winning musical. (It deserved it, the musical was wonderful).

There is an apple tree with an attitude, edible flowers that will help children be more thoughtful, and nasturtiums that will help someone keep a secret growing in this small garden in South Carolina. Tended by the same family for generations it will help heal two estranged sisters. I was surprised how much I enjoyed Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen as it's not something I'd normally read. Just proves that it's good to try something different! :-)

During World War I a young child arrives in Australia from London with nothing more than a small suitcase and a book of beautifully illustrated fairy tales. She is raised by the dockmaster and his wife who, on her 21st birthday, tell her this. She returns to London in search of her real identity. Eventually her granddaughter continues the search, discovers the garden in the title and solves the mystery. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton is one of those books that will keep you reading far into the night.

Reading Hermit With Dog