The Secret Garden

"Then she slipped through the door,

and shut it behind her, breathing quite fast

with excitement and wonder, and delight.

She was standing inside the secret garden."

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

When it comes to stories centered on gardens, one title has stood above all the others for almost 100 years: Frances Hodgson Burnett's "The Secret Garden." Regardless of age, it has the power to transport the reader to a degree that few works of fiction can claim. That power comes from the timeless nature of the story as well as from Burnett's own story and the garden at the center of her tale.

Burnett was born in England but spent her childhood in the U.S. after the death of her father. Though her first husband was an American, Burnett wound up spending much of her married life in England, including the years during and after a disastrous second marriage. That partner's abusive and threatening personality are considered the basis for the fictional tyrant, Sir Nigel Anstruthers, one of the central figures of Burnett's 1907 novel, "The Shuttle." 

"The Shuttle" looks at the trans-Atlantic weaving together in marriage of impoverished British aristocrats and wealthy American young women and the culture clashes that ensue. Burnett profiles a new kind of woman: wealthy, brainy, loaded with initiative and not about to take a back seat to anyone — including her husband.

"The Shuttle," reprinted by the U.K. feminist publisher Persephone Books, is an enthralling read. It's also the place where you can begin to see the importance Burnett assigns to gardens as places of beauty, nourishment and especially, new life. Burnett wrote most of "The Shuttle" at Maytham, a Georgian house near Rolvenden in Kent where she lived for about ten years beginning in 1898, according to Anne Sebba's introduction to the book. The village is still there, virtually unchanged, though the house was demolished in 1910 and replaced by the current Lutyens creation. 

PICTURESOFENGLAND.COM

Frances Hodgson Burnett lived and worked at Great Maytham Hall (above) for about ten years beginning in 1898. The original Georgian house, near Rolvenden in Kent, was torn down in 1910 and replaced with this Lutyens' designed dwelling. The walled garden inspired Burnett's classic tale, "The Secret Garden."

Burnett wrote on the wide terrace of the house; there were woods crowding by, and a walled rose garden that one entered through a wooden door. In "The Shuttle," Burnett begins the theme that this landscape suggested and that she will explore so deeply: "One feels so much in a garden ... One is so close to Life in it — the stirring of the brown earth, the piercing through of green spears, that breaking of buds and pouring forth of scent." 

Four years later — in 1911 —  "The Secret Garden" was published. There was surprisingly little attention paid to the book — nothing like that for her popular adult novels nor for her children's tales like "Little Lord Fauntleroy." Its renaissance seems related to the release of the first (silent) film version of the story in 1918 and to the increasing notice given to children's literature as the 20th century progressed.

"The Secret Garden" revolves around three children: Dickon, a local Yorkshire lad; Mary Lennox, the orphan come to England from India; and her sickly cousin, Colin Craven, whose father is the master of Misselthwaite Manor where the story takes place. It's a forbidding and mysterious house, filled with long corridors, strange sounds and people who have little time for a cranky orphan. The story revolves around the discoveries the children make about themselves, each other and the healing power of Nature, and the abandoned, hidden garden they bring back to life. 

Inga Moore's illustrated edition of "The Secret Garden," published in 2008 (above left) may be the best version since the book was originally published in 1911 (above right).

The garden ranks with Thornfield Hall, Manderley and Tara as one of the most memorable creations in literature. A place that every reader imagines and longs to visit. My 1911 edition (above right) has only four color illustrations inserted, so the house and garden are mostly imaginary landscapes for readers of that period. 

That's changed over the years as Burnett's book has attained classic status. New versions, illustrated by the likes of Graham Rust and Tasha Tudor, have entered the market on a regular basis. Truth be told, I like Tudor herself, her amazing house and garden, much more than her illustrations — charming though they may be.

No, the most perfect illustrated version of "The Secret Garden" (above left and below) was released last year at this time by the Candlewick Press of Cambridge, MA. The drawings are by Inga Moore, a woman who knows gardens and the English landscape intimately. The plants are so identifiable that I could build my own version of this garden based on Moore's drawings alone. There are animals of every stripe that one would find roaming the woods and all the details of the hardscaping and shrubbery of a classic country estate — all captured by Moore on paper. 

The book is large enough (8 and 1/2" x 11") that the text is readable regardless of age, and the pictures present lots of detail as well as showing us the hand of the artist at work. Above all, there are multiple double-page spreads that offer an extraordinary sense of moving through all the different spaces of this property on the way to the secret garden. 

COPYRIGHT: CANDLEWICK PRESS

The cover of "The Secret Garden," illustrated by Inga Moore, gives you a sense of the richness of the book and the artist's vision.

As an illustrator, Moore is able to overcome the greatest limitation of filmmakers: her garden looks real because she knows her subject and she doesn't have to show us the rapid transformation that the movie versions of the story demand. Finally, the publisher has followed Burnett's original text — no talking down to readers, no modern usage, no glossing over Mary's colonial imperiousness. This is a book to absolutely treasure.

If you love "The Secret Garden," and you want more, there are only a couple of ways to get more. One is the various film and television adaptations now available on DVD or video. There is the 1949 MGM movie starring Margret O'Brien, with only the garden scenes shot in color. There are three BBC versions but the most acclaimed film adaptation is probably the one directed by Agnieszka Holland for American Zoetrope in 1993. 

I have that one as part of a two-disc set with the glorious adaptation of "The Little Princess" by Alfonso Cuaron. But I find Holland's film too over-the-top for my taste. Her "secret garden" scenes are filmed in time lapse photography which goes against my gardening grain. A garden is already a miracle; I don't need fancy filmwork to try and convince me. 

Holland also filmed her garden scenes at Fountains Abbey where the setting and scale seem all wrong. To remain a secret, a garden needs to be reasonably small and contained without tumbledown walls and noteworthy architectural framing. Close but no stars from me.

My favorite version is the 1987 Hallmark Hall of Fame television production. Normally I steer clear of Hallmark but I think they've done a superb job of capturing the essence of the story — which you can see by the fact that I have both a video and a DVD of that production. It was entirely filmed on location in England with Highclere Castle standing in for Misselthwaite Manor. The building has an overpowering exterior (below) and its 75 rooms required little in the way of props or changes. Its gardens were cared for by a staff of 19 in the years before WWII. 

It is the discovery of the abandoned garden and the idea of restoration that make the book — and most film versions — memorable. The restored garden never has the charm of the dream for me, and I suspect that's true for many others. (And what about those pink AND blue hydrangeas blooming right next to each other?)  

Like all the film versions, Hallmark takes some liberties with the story. But in this case, I thought they added another layer of meaning. The film is book-ended with scenes of the grown-up Mary — a WWI Red Cross nurse — returning to the garden and telling the story as a flashback. It ends with the adult Mary inside the garden with the adult Colin (Colin Firth!) home from the war. 

Highclere Castle (above) was the setting for the 1987 Hallmark version of "The Secret Garden."

If you want to take it even further there are two film sequels that do so, but I've only seen the 2001 TV production, "Back to the Secret Garden." It stars Joan Plowright as the grown-up Martha Sowerby, who's been put in charge by Colin and Mary and is now running the estate as a shelter for orphans. A nice idea but it doesn't quite come off.

Finally, there is Susan Moody's book, "Return to the Secret Garden." Dickon goes off to WWI while Mary goes off to India with a husband. Collin stays home and tries to figure out who he is. Eventually the three rejoin forces in England where they make a name for themselves designing and building garden conservatories. That much seems probable. 

“Colin knew that he and Mary needed Dickon to complete themselves. Without him, they were too rich a mixture. Dickon diluted the intensity of their natures, absorbed their more extreme tendencies, gave them a sense of balance,” is how Moody describes the relationship among the three. Ultimately the book became too much of a tortured soap opera. It wasn't what I had imagined for this charmed threesome. 

No matter how much readers like myself want to peer into their future, there is no future for this triumvirate. Mary, Dickon and Colin must remain children in the garden. We are the ones Burnett is instructing and admonishing to change and grow:

"Two things cannot be in one place.

Where you tend a rose,

A thistle cannot grow."

Comments

[Martha B.]

Linda-

I must pull this book out again..time to reread it.

Didn't Tasha Tudor recently pass away? I agree with you about her illustrations... I've never been a big fan of them. But her house and garden...I'll take them both! :)

Martha B.

[LINDA FROM EACH LITTLE WORLD]

It is such a wonderful book and I don't think you can read it too many times. I'm sure it will be completely different from the parental point of view!

I'm enjoying discovering some of Burnett's other titles; the link I made to "The Shuttle" offers some fascinating info.

(And, yes, Tasha Tudor did just die).

[Pam/Digging (Austin)]

I think every gardener must treasure this book, whether read in childhood or adulthood. I'd love to see the illustrated editions you mentioned. I do like the Holland film version too though.

[LINDA FROM EACH LITTLE WORLD]

I never read it until I was an adult — don't know how I missed it until then. I read it all over again when I got the newly illustrated version.

[Sarah Osborne]

I downloaded _The Shuttle_ from Project Gutenberg without knowing anything about it a few months back. I hadn't gotten around to reading it, and learning that it's 500 pages long makes me a little intimidated to attempt on a computer screen! (I read _Villette_ that way - never again). I'll add it to my library list.

_The Secret Garden_ was the first "big novel" I ever read as a child, and I am so glad that it was my "first." I learned right away that good novels do not necessarily have likable main characters, and also that knowing someone's history has a way of making them more sympathetic (e.g. Mary, Colin). I think it's an excellent lesson for kids to absorb - Dicken's presence keeps kids reading, until enough sympathy has built up for Colin and Mary to be likable too. SUCH clever character development, without ever being preachy.

According to the most recent Farmer's Almanac, as a Libra I'm supposed to be a hands-off gardener who doesn't like getting dirty (Ha!), so maybe I can credit TSG with helping me see the wonder (and health benefits) in touching dirt as well?

[LINDA FROM EACH LITTLE WORLD]

I downloaded one of Burnett's books last summer. I read "The Head of the House of Coombe," which I found in a used bookstore and did not realize was the first book in a 2-part story. So I downloaded the second book. Not the most attractive way of reading a book but it definitely worked.

"The Shuttle" is just terrific. I first read it last winter and have reread it already during the past year. Just dipped into it again at New Years. If you click on the link, it takes you to the Persephone site and you can read the intro which is an excellent essay.

[Just a Plane Ride Away]

Oh, what a wonderful post! "The Secret Garden" is one of my very favourite books. I am extremely excited to learn of Inga Moore's illustrated edition. I recently read Burnett's "The Making of a Marchioness." Have you read that one? And thank you for telling us of "The Shuttle"! Persaphone Books is one of my new-found joys, so I will be happy to find an excuse to give them more business.

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

I got waylaid by another book midway through "Marchioness" and want to start over. I have temporarily given up ordering books from Persephone because they are fairly expensive to send to the U.S but I think their choices are so interesting. I had never known about any of Burnett's books for adults until I discovered Persephone. And I love the design with the pattern inside the cover on the endpapers — actually another "secret garden."

[Nicola]

My daughters haven't read this and I've not read it for many years. Time to re-visit I think. I'm fascinated by the whole idea of walled gardens in literature. I think there may be a walled garden in My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier if memory serves me right. I enjoyed this post.

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

Nicola — It's been so many years since I've read My Cousin Rachel! Now you've got me curious.

[Sarah Laurence]

What a fascinating story behind the Secret Garden. You told it so well, and I love seeing the photos and illustrations. I agree that the children should remain children in the garden. Discovering that book had the same joy as finding a secret garden.

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

I think you've captured the reason adults like the book and are stilll drawn to reading it — because it has "the same joy as finding a secret garden." The Inga Moore illustrations are just magical.

[Flower Shop Donegal]

Brillant wee post
The Secret Garden is one of my very favourite books.

Thanks,
Aanee xxxx
http://www.myflowerdelivery.ie