The Daring Book for Girls - Andrea J. Buchanan [49]
Secret Garden
IN THE SECRET GARDEN, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the orphaned Mary is sent to live with her uncle at Misselthwaite Manor. Mary takes to roaming the grounds, and one day she finds a mysterious, ivy-covered wall. A robin leads her to the key that reveals, behind the wall, an abandoned garden. Once in, Mary learns that the “small, pale green points” emerging beneath the cover of weeds are bulbs on their way to becoming “sweet-smelling” things, and that February’s dead roses return to life by Spring. Mary befriends the local boy Dickon, who knows the mysteries of the natural world and can talk to animals. Together they bring the secret garden back to life. In Mary and Dickon’s spirit, you can create a garden of your own, secret or not. Here are two ideas for working your own patch.
A BULB GARDEN
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The secret garden at Misselthwaite teemed with all kinds of bulbs, and your garden can, too. First, you must know that the essence of gardening is good soil, planting in sun or shade (depending on the plant’s needs), and water. Find a space in your yard, till the soil, add nourishments like compost and old leaves to the soil, then plant.
In the Fall, plant bulbs six inches or so down, in good soil. Choose a variety of bulbs: crocus, daffodils, tulips, and gladioli. Then add several kinds of lilies; even though they are not officially bulbs, they are part of the same plant family, Liliacaeae. These will bloom in succession from early Spring through mid-Summer. Nearby, in the Spring, you might plant peas, cherry tomatoes, and other pick-as-you-go vegetables, for when you’re outside playing and need to nibble.
A SUNFLOWER HUT
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If you already have an outdoor fort of your own, add flowers or vegetables, like a bustle of orange tiger lilies or a line of hardy Black-eyed Susans. Tall plants such as a stand of joe-pye weeds or butterfly bushes provide excellent cover.
You can also grow sunflowers into a hut. In Spring, plant sunflower seeds in a circle or square (or any shape you wish). Leave some unplanted space for a doorway. Dig a one-foot wide planting area according to your plan, and add mulch till the soil is rich and ready.
Plant sunflower seeds, two to a hole, in holes one foot apart. As they grow, prune away the weaker seedling. In between the sunflower seeds, plant morning glories. They will tangle their way up the sunflower stalks and give your hut more privacy and a blur of color.
Water daily and pull any weeds that grow nearby. When the sunflowers are tall, weave rope or twine through them. Find a way to pull the rope over and across until the sunflower tops come together to create the roof of the hut. Tug gently, though, so the sunflowers won’t pop off their sturdy stems.
Friendship Bracelets
FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS can be very simple or extremely intricate, but at heart they’re just colorful embroidery floss woven into lovely patterns, to be given to dear friends. Originally part of Native American life, particularly in Central America, these handwoven bracelets became popular in the United States in the 1970s—and not just for girls. President Bill Clinton sported one in the first televised interview of his post-presidential years.
The slender Snake Around the Pole is the easiest friendship bracelet to make.
1. Cut two strands from different colors of embroidery floss, using a bit less than one yard.
2. Hold the two strands together. Tie a knot at one end, leaving 2 inches above the knot. Use a safety pin to attach it to your pants or the arm of a sofa (if you do that, make sure your parents won’t mind a tiny hole). Some people use tape, but it can come off and mess up the pattern. You can also use a clipboard, putting the knot just under