Imagine if you will a walled garden on a summer’s afternoon. A productive garden, beautiful in its bounty of edibles. Bees flying slowly from flowers to hive, laden with sun and pollen in equal measure. Formal paths edged with aromatic herbs divide up borders of fruit, vegetables and flowers.
Sheltered from all but the gentlest of breezes, this walled garden on a summer’s afternoon is bathed in sunlight and soft shadows. Warm enough to make gardening chores a pleasure, yet sufficiently soporific to encourage tired bodies into slumber.
Against a sunny wall is a pergola swathed in scented roses. Curled up on cushions, an elderly cat lies sleeping next to a dreaming, equally senior, human.
A kitten plays with splashing water from the fountain in the pool nearby. A young gardener rises from their repose in the pergola to rescue the kitten before it falls into the pool. Cradling the kitten in one hand, they carry it on a brief tour of the garden. Padding barefoot along the stone path between borders filled with the scent and colour of high summer, the gardener mentally notes which fruit is ripening, where there are flowers to pick before they seed.
The kitten wriggles and is released. Smiling, the gardener watches as butterflies, bees and hoverflies all tempt the kitten to chase. Indulging a youngster learning to hunt; a part of the constant battle between prey and predator that is carried out throughout the garden. Strolling on between low hedges of thyme, followed by the kitten, the gardener is heading towards the strawberry beds. Gardeners try to plan ahead, and a turquoise bowl had been scooped up before leaving the pergola.
Seeing a good clump of ripe strawberries, the gardener squats; nimble fingers pick the crop. Rolling on the path, a furry tummy is exposed for tickling but ignored. Glancing down when toes are caught in a gentle demand for attention the fruit picker is dutifully distracted and plays with the kitten, encouraging it to chase a random hazel twig found in the border. Probably leftover from making the clematis hoops, thinks the gardener, twitching the hazel out of the kitten’s reach again. Suddenly seeing a white butterfly on the path, the kitten pounces in pursuit and the strawberry picking resumes.
With the bowl full, the gardener sits back from their squatting position to watch the kitten prowl through the border like a silver tiger in miniature. Absentmindedly eating a strawberry, eyes wander across the garden; “Fruit does well here,” comes out as a comment to the kitten. But small felines find ladybirds more interesting than horticulture, so the gardener tilts back their head to assess the sky. Clear blue, cloudless, unlikely to rain until after sunset: a perfect summer’s day.
In one lithe movement the gardener stands, pauses for a moment, enjoying the warm late afternoon sun on their shoulders, then scoops up bowl and kitten. Strolling more purposefully, the pair head towards the rose pergola, taking a different route back to check on the peas and beans which will need picking for dinner tomorrow if not today. “Pudding first though” says the gardener, referring to the strawberries. The kitten purrs.
Reaching the fountain again, the gardener pauses, looking towards the rose pergola. For a moment as still as statues, gardener and kitten both gaze at the sleepers. Then slowly sweeping around, the gardener takes in the sights, sounds and scents of the walled garden as if fixing this moment safely to memory. Dropping a kiss on the kitten’s head, the walker paces softly to the pergola so as not to wake the sleepers. It seems the kitten has also fallen asleep, and merely curls up when placed on the soft cushions. Placing the bowl on a small table the gardener glances down at the still dozing figures and carefully lies down, so as not to disturb the peacefulness of the afternoon. “The strawberries will keep” is the thought before sleep reaches the young gardener too.
A light breeze dances delicately over the garden wall and whispers to the roses that they should sway to its tune.
With a noise between a sigh and a grunt the old gardener wakes, not yet opening eyes, but testing joints for aches. Finding the cushions were as soft a bed as promised, and that the sun is still warm, eyes open. A hand reaches out to the elderly cat who pr-rps and stretches with as much care as the human.
“That was a pleasant snooze, don’t you think? And our walled garden on a summer’s afternoon is the perfect place for it.” The cat begins to wash. “Do you know” continues the gardener in a conversational tone, “There have been many cats and kittens in this garden before you, and probably will be after you too. Just as I’m not the first of my family to garden here.”
Stretching some more, the gardener considers sitting up, but lies still a while longer, watching the fountain catch the sunlight, enjoying the quiet. “I was dreaming about two of them just now.” The cat looks up. “My grandmother and your great-great grandmother. She was the person who created this garden you know. It was derelict when she took it on and she put so much of herself into it, I sometimes feel she never left.” A pause and a sigh. “Ah well, suppose I’d better get some more chores done. Let’s pick strawberries for tea.” Watched by the feline, who has no intention of moving until they’re sure dinner is imminent, the gardener gets up slowly.
Reaching for the turquoise bowl, the gardener’s hand stops. It is full to the brim with ripe, freshly picked fruit.
A Walled Garden on a Summer’s Afternoon
A version of this short story by Marie Shallcross first appeared in Living Quietly Magazine in 2018.
Interesting info: the Strawberry Moon is not what you see when you look up into the night sky after a surfeit of strawberries! The strawberry moon is the full moon that appears nearest to the Summer Solstice.
For gardening tips, garden design ideas, planting ideas for flower borders and vegetable gardens, pretty photos and original illustrations to increase your enjoyment, you could do worse than treat yourself to our eBook “In Your Summer Garden”
A Selection of Blogs from the award winning Plews Potting Shed
Edible Gardening
Strawberries, Summertime, Grow your Own Fruit
Edible Gardens Ornamental food
Herbs for Summer Salads
Garden Visits – Kitchen Gardens
Midsummer Gardens
Midsummers Day in Your Garden – 3 Flowers, 3 Fruits, 3 Tasks
5 Scented Flowering Shrubs for a Midsummer Garden
Shakespeare – Midsummer Nights Dream – Garden Design Inspiration
Blogs featuring Walled Gardens
Garden Visits – Downderry Nursery
Garden Visits – Brockwell Park Walled Garden
Garden Visits – Trengwainton
