The Garden Ladder Story

The garden elements that signal a romantic garden include the garden path, the rendezvous and enticing sights, smells and sounds along the way.  I hadn't considered what story would be told by a man vs a woman.  This garden seemed to immediately be a garden story told by a man.  When I looked at the ladder to the barn window, what comes to mind is the story of Rapunzel, or an enticement to come out to rendezvous.  Perhaps this is the garden story of sneaking out a second floor window:  Here are the steps from wikiHow: 1. If there is no sturdy tree right outside your window, go to the garage or storage shed when your parents are not home. Look for anything that can help rappel you out your window (i.e. long, thick ropes, tall ladders, anything that act as a rope or ladder). You should only use the rope if you know its strength, a safe limit for most ropes that is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) is 150 lbs. Tests your limits- better safe than sorry. 2. Bring the rope or rope-like objects back to your room and hide them. Test the ladder: put it under your window. It will work if you can crawl out your window and onto it safely. Put the ladder or ladder-like objects somewhere in your backyard where they are easily reached and unnoticeable. 3. Check to see if your parents and other family members are asleep (preferred), or in their bedroom with the doors closed. You may just be able to sneak out the front door. If they are not, and you just can't wait, and you have a sturdy tree right outside your window, climb the tree. If the previous things apply but you don't have a tree, follow the rest of these steps: Make sure you have at least one friend who is willing to come to your house and stand beneath your window in case you fall. Two-three friends is optimal, but make sure they are strong and you can rely on them to come quietly at the designated time. Have them bring a flashlight. 4. Have your friends go get the ladder from its hiding place and put it under your window. These friends should have a pretty good idea of your backyard and they should be very quiet. Put on sports shoes or go barefoot; socks will make you slip. Have your friends hold the legs of the ladder steady and crawl out the window, down the ladder. Once you're safely down, stash the ladder somewhere nearby. 5. Walk away from your house or have someone pick you up a block away, or push your car at least 100 feet (30.5 m) away and go have a great time. 6 . Come back at least one hour before you expect your parents to be up. It will be easiest to come in through the front door. If this is unwise (you have a loud dog downstairs/alarm/etc), then use the same method you used to get out. Put the ladder back under your window, climb up, have your friends place it back into the hiding place. Replace your screen, close your window. Have your friends hoist you up on their shoulders and climb back in your window. Untie the rope, replace the screen, and close your window.

More Romance in the Garden

Here are a few more images of what to expect in a Romantic Garden.  These are from Filoli, just south of San Francisco, inland from Half Moon Bay.

Romance is a Feeling - Exploring Romantic Gardens

With my interest in gardens and all the garden pictures that I have, I've started doing presentations to garden speaking to garden clubs and horticultural societies.  The first is "From Snapshot to Great Shot - Explorations in Flower and Garden Photography".  The second is "Exploring Great Public Gardens of North America in Search of Magic and Mystery".  The third one is "The Romantic Garden is Alive in Great Public Gardens of North America". 

I just completed this last presentation for the Master Gardens of Niagara.  A lengthier version will be developed for the Toronto Botanical Gardens (TBG) Seminar series in February near Valentine's Day.  This longer version will delve into the romantic flowers as well as romantic garden design and elements.  

Certainly the romantic flowers are well known - we would all guess roses at the top of the list, and then there are daisies, irises, lilies, carnations, lilacs, wildflowers and sunflowers.  I would add the draping flowers like wisteria, laburnum, and jasmine.  Of course who would resist a field of lavender.

So today's image celebrates the romantic garden element of the bench on the path, draped in the soft colours of a romantic rose on a trellis.  This is at Filoli, a great historic house and public garden, just south of San Francisco.  I consider it one of the great Romantic Gardens of North America.

Romantic Gardens - Hatley House

Hatley House is at Royal Roads University, in Victoria B.C.  It is both a magnificent garden estate and apicturesque National Historic Site covering 650 acres. This magnificent 1908 Edwardian estate began as the home of industrialist James Dunsmuir and later the site of a military college until 1995 when it became Royal Roads University. The massive Scottish inspired castle is the centre piece of an estate that contains a series of beautiful formal gardens, lush old growth forests and ocean vistas.

I vote for a visit to these gorgeous Romantic Edwardian gardens...