Have you ever read a book passage that inspired you to action? If so, then did the inspiration meet the reality?
Old books can provide plenty of inspiration, and one such passage indeed prompted action. According to William Cabell Bruce's biography of John Randolph of Roanoke, there was a visitor to the garden of Mrs. LeGrand. She was a well-known and generous lady who lived not far from Mr. Randolph's land. Dr. James Waddell Alexander wrote a letter to Dr. Hall, describing his admiration of this "faeryland." The original text on page 154 describes the scene:
I have just been in Mrs. LeGrand's garden, which is faeryland. There are blooming and perfuming at this moment...yellow jasmines, double peach hyacinths, Siberian crab, tulips, violets, pansies, jonquils, etc.
This description was the starting point for creating another special place. Like Mrs. LeGrand's garden, this spot would be fit for the likes of fairies, birds and other whimsical creatures. Or that was the hope, anyway. The reality was different.
A spot was chosen for this new fairyland beyond the forest edge, yet receiving enough sunlight in early spring, just before tree leaves fully emerged from winter break. An iron wall decor piece, featuring winding leaves, was found in one of the outbuildings. It was dusted off and placed on the fence next to the newly christened spot. However, garden catalogs were short on yellow jasmine and double peach hyacinths. The violet that arrived from Ohio was temperamental, although luckily, wild violets and pansies grew nearby. For some odd reason, there was a last minute decision to plant the tulips clear across the other side of the garden. Star jasmine vines, with white instead of yellow blooms, were also planted in a different corner. The multi-colored hyacinth bulbs disappeared, except for a few, and they were moved to another spot. So the jonquils were left to summon the fairies all by themselves.
There was another noteworthy excerpt from the book mentioned above. The author mused that Dr. Alexander may have detected the fragrance of Calycanthus without realizing it. Also known as sweetshrub, it can be found growing wild in the woods, and Virginia is no exception. Its fruity scent can be detected from far away. Rather than mounting an expedition for calycanthus, two varieties were found in a catalog. They were planted near the spot in a slightly sunken garden. One plant had the typical maroon flowers, and the other featured white flowers. Both shrubs have survived several winters now, and they still provide the fragrance that may have seduced Dr. Alexander all those centuries ago.
The jonquils are still going strong. The colors include yellow, white, yellow and white combined, pink, pink and white combined, and various sizes. They have not multiplied much, but they are reliable bloomers every year. Due to the addition of a gorgeous panther who roams the grounds (okay, he's a cat), there are not many visits from fairies or birds. However, let's hope the panther keeps scaring away the bulb thieves. While this little plot of jonquils may not have the scale or impact of Mrs. LeGrand's garden, these cheerful flowers continue to bring joy every year!