“Shhh, it’s a secret!” A secret garden, that is! By Diane Morey Sitton

Green walls surround this inviting table for two. Click image for larger view.

Say the words “secret garden” to gardeners, and it conjures up images of a verdant hideaway – serene, private, and so quiet you can almost hear the unfurling of flower petals and the fluttering of butterfly wings.

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There’s no doubt secret gardens capture the imagination, suggesting wonder, mystery, and surprise.

But you don’t have to own a large estate or a primeval forest to create a secret garden. By using a few gardening tricks-of-the-trade, almost anyone can create their own private retreat.

A curve in a path leads to this mossy surprise. It must be the work of garden fairies. Click image for larger view.

Start by picking a sheltered spot away from the main garden’s traffic flow: a side-yard, a shady nook behind a tool shed, or an unused back corner of a fenced yard all have the makings of a personal haven.

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The goal is privacy — your very own garden room – so create living walls by planting trees, dense shrubs, or clumping bamboo. Where living walls won’t do, construct walls using lattice, sections of wood fencing, or recycled shutters.

Quirky collectibles and whimsy set the theme for this back-corner hideaway. Click image for larger view.

Set the tone of your clandestine hideaway by making a memorable entryway. Build an arbor, design an arch, trim out a subtle opening in a dense hedge, or construct a one-of-a-kind gate. Keep the opening narrow to increase the sense of enclosure. Heighten the surprise – and the privacy– with a curved path leading to the entry.

Foliage and flowers help keep this relaxing retreat under wraps. Click image for larger view.

Furnish the secret garden to reflect your personality and pastimes. If you want to use the space for coffee or tea, add a small table and a few chairs. If you like to read or nap surrounded by nature, add a chaise lounge. Increase the serenity with a burbling fountain, wind chimes, fragrant herbs and flowers, and a pastel color palette.

Roses, marigolds, crape myrtle: something is always in bloom at this fragrant and colorful retreat. Click image for larger view.

Further personalize your secret garden by expressing a theme. Celebrate wildlife with a bird feeder, birdbath, and figures of rabbits, squirrels, and other woodland creatures. Salute the Victorian era with pink and white furnishings and frilly accessories. Reveal your passion for thrift stores and flea markets with vintage collectibles and cleverly repurposed furnishings.

Secluded and serene: who wouldn’t want to keep this flowery haven all to themselves. Click image for larger view.

Once you’ve selected a secluded spot, moved in furnishings and accessories, planted special selections, and created a tantalizing entrance, you’ll find that the biggest challenge of creating a secret garden is keeping the secret all to yourself.

Posted by Diane Morey Sitton
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