Anne of Green Gables and the Author’s Green Haven
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:
November 30, 1874
On this day in literary and horticultural history, Lucy Maud Montgomery, the beloved Canadian author of the Anne of Green Gables series, entered the world on Prince Edward Island. Her birth heralded the arrival of a writer whose words would bloom like perennial flowers in the hearts of readers for generations to come.
Much like a delicate seedling transplanted too soon, young Lucy faced adversity early in life. At the tender age of two, she lost her mother, and shortly after, her father entrusted her care to her grandparents. This unconventional upbringing, reminiscent of her famous character Anne Shirley, would later inform the rich tapestry of her writing.
Despite achieving the status of a Canadian literary icon and garnering worldwide adoration, Lucy's personal life was not without its thorns. Loneliness, death, and depression cast long shadows over her days. Some historians now speculate that she may have pruned her own life short. Yet, amidst these trials, Lucy found solace in the embrace of her garden, much like many of us do today.
Picture, if you will, Lucy tending to her kitchen garden, coaxing lettuce, peas, carrots, radishes, and fragrant herbs from the soil.
One can almost see her, pen-stained fingers gently caressing the leaves, finding respite from her literary labors. It became her custom to seek refuge among her plants after completing her writing and household duties, as if drawing strength from the very earth itself.
In Norval, where Lucy spent part of her adult life, her legacy continues to flourish in the form of the Lucy Maud Montgomery Sensory Garden. This horticultural homage, designed by Landscape Architect Eileen Foley, stands adjacent to the public school. It's a veritable wonderland that would surely delight both Lucy and her creation, Anne.
Imagine strolling through this garden, where an analemmatic sundial marks the passage of time, butterflies and birds flit among carefully chosen plants, children tend their own vegetable plots, and a log bridge leads to a whimsical woodland trail.
Let us conclude with Lucy's own words, which resonate deeply with gardeners everywhere:
I love my garden, and I love working in it. To potter with green growing things, watching each day to see the dear, new sprouts come up, is like taking a hand in creation, I think. Just now, my garden is like faith, the substance of things hoped for.
In these words, we find the essence of what draws us to our gardens - the joy of nurturing, the thrill of growth, and the profound connection to the cycle of life. Lucy Maud Montgomery's garden, like her stories, continues to inspire and delight, a testament to the enduring power of both literature and horticulture.