Shout out to late spring and soon-to-be-summer! These are the perfect days for eating popsicles and watermelon, running through sprinklers, taking trips to the seaside, catching fireflies—and gardening. In fact, many families work together to plant vegetables or flowers during springtime so they can enjoy the bounty and beauty of God’s creation in the warmer summer months.

One of my all-time favorite books is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, which was set at the turn of the 20^th century. I find the characters of the spoiled and sullen orphan Mary Lennox, her wealthy “invalid” cousin, Colin Craven, their wise, animal-whispering friend, Dickon Sowerby, the grumpy gardener, Ben Weatherstaff, and Mary’s seemingly emotionally detached Uncle Archibald to be extremely well developed. Moreover, the backdrop of the Craven’s home (Misselthwaite Manor) on the English Yorkshire moor is perfect.  And although the book begins in the winter months in British India and England, its delightful ending happens in summer when everything is blossoming and blooming in the children’s secret garden.

When Mary loses her parents in a cholera epidemic in India, she is sent to live with her uncle in Yorkshire, England. At first, she is unhappy and rude to the staff, but eventually she discovers a locked garden on the property and is intrigued. Why is the garden locked? Where is the key? What tragedy happened in the garden? And what is the mysterious wailing sound she hears in the middle of the night?

You’ll have to read the book yourself to find the answers. Even better, read it to your littles!

The Secret Garden was written over a century ago, yet readers will discover the timeless truth that human nature never changes. But we also learn that hopefulness and healing can transform people–and that the themes of rejuvenation and rebirth are always in season. There are just so many important lessons in this book, but of course, there is also a lot about the challenges and satisfaction of gardening as well.

The Secret Garden is a must read for all, but there is a companion book called Inside the Secret Garden: A Treasury of Crafts, Recipes, and Activities by Carolyn Strom Collins and Christina Wyss Eriksson that is also delightful. It was illustrated by Tasha Tudor and Mary Collier, so you can probably imagine the wonderful drawings!  The book’s contents include biographical information about Frances Hodgson Burnett, her inspiration to write the story, the background of ‘Misselthwaite Manor’ and its gardens, ideas for creating your own secret garden, crafts, recipes, menus, and more.

In The Secret Garden, Mary learned the joys of playing outside and skipping rope, so I thought the included activity of making a skipping rope in the companion book was a great idea. Other favorites were baking a ‘Robin Cake,’ making crumpets, creating a tiny trellis, and pressing flowers.

Of course, since the story is set in England, there were many rainy days when the children had to create their own amusements. To pass the time, they pored over gardening books to learn how to transform the neglected garden Mary had discovered into a lovely spot for them to secretly visit and enjoy.

Below are some suggestions of fun gardening books you may want to check out for yourself and your family.

–Gardening for Kids: Learn, Grow, and Get Messy with Fun STEAM Projects by Brandy Stone.

–The Best-Ever Step-by-Step Kid’s First Gardening: Fantastic Gardening Ideas For 5 To 12 Year-Olds, From Growing Fruit And Vegetables And Fun With Flowers To Wildlife Gardening And Outdoor Crafts by Jenny Hendy.

–Gardening Lab for Kids: 52 Fun Experiments to Learn, Grow, Harvest, Make, Play, and Enjoy Your Garden (Lab for Kids, 24) by Renata Brown.

–Sunflower Houses: Inspiration From the Garden–A Book for Children and Their Grown-Ups by Sharon Lovejoy.

–Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children by Sharon Lovejoy.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is an amazing book, so definitely put it on your TBR list if you’ve never read it. And if you are inspired by the story, try out a few of the activities in some of the other resources provided with your family.

Most importantly, everyone needs to get outside and enjoy God’s glorious creation. Get your hands dirty by digging in the soil. Plant some seeds and keep them watered. See what grows!

Blessings,

Amy O’Quinn

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Top photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.