A bit of earth

There are few things that hold more promise than a fresh patch of garden, all ready to be planted. An empty garden in springtime is a lot like an empty page on which to write a story, or draw a picture, or pour out your heart. It is full of expectations, hopes and dreams, and can be intimidating too. It is a place where miracles happen, where something emerges that didn't exist before, something brand new.

In the classic book The Secret Garden, orphaned Mary Lennox asks of her uncle, "Might I ...