Succulent Secret Garden

In Napa, a succulent secret garden grows. It spills out into the street, only hinting at the magic that waits within.

If you look the right way, you can see the whole world is a garden.

Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

The Job

Growing succulents is my client’s hobby. He wanted me to take pictures of his garden to share his joy with the world.

I asked him if he wanted my editing to stick to a particular style and was very happy when he said to do what I wanted. Usually, I’m restrained by a client’s brand or style choice. But I got to let my imagination respond to the beauty of my subject.

The job was a half-day rate (4-hour) undertaking during the hottest week on record in Napa County. Luckily, the garden was well shaded and I didn’t suffer too badly.

Succulent Secret Garden

I got lost in the garden. Everywhere I looked, I discovered something new. The client owns a junk-hauling business that removes trash. He then repurposes some of the trash into his art or his garden.

And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.

Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

When editing, I became absorbed in colors and textures. Blushing pinks and purples, rustic antique browns and reds, brilliant greens, and moody greens and blues.

I was in editing heaven. The fun of editing for me is discovering the mood of the object and composition.

While shooting and editing, I remembered the “I Spy” picture books. I felt like so many of the shots I got could have been in a garden-themed I Spy book.

Even with the day’s heat, I got lost in my work.

I wanted to share these images with the world. Because the magic of gardens should be shared.

Sometimes since I’ve been in the garden I’ve looked up through the trees at the sky and I have had a strange feeling of being happy as if something was pushing and drawing in my chest and making me breathe fast. Magic is always pushing and drawing and making things out of nothing. Everything is made out of magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people. So it must be all around us. In this garden – in all the places.

Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden