A framed Secret Garden Map

Painting The Secret Garden

Read how I painted The Secret Garden with watercolor!

📗 Click HERE to browse over 40 Story Maps.

I’m so happy to share a behind-the-scenes look at how my Secret Garden story map came to life!

It began with a well-loved copy of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and a leather-bound sketchbook by my side. 

"If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden." —The Secret Garden

 

A framed Secret Garden Map

Here’s what went into the design:
🌱 A layout inspired by English manor houses, walled gardens, and winding paths.

🖌️ Watercolors inspired by soft greens, mossy greys, and bright blossoms in pink, lavender, and gold.

🔑 Sweet details like the ivy-covered gate, the robin in the rose bush, and the skipping rope beneath a tree.

 

I began by jotting down the people and places I encountered in the story, then pieced them together into a gentle landscape. For this map, I started at the Lennox Home in India, then wandered down the paths of England, following the robin toward the hidden door.

Next, I use my architectural pen to refine my sketch. This pen is waterproof and creates lines for me to paint in later. Kind of like a watercolor coloring sheet! 

Now the painting begins! I spend a lot of time getting the colors right. When I say "right," I really just mean the way that I imagine the story. The fresh green of new leaves, the blush of roses, the chartreuse grass.

Let's paint! This part takes about two days. I let part of it dry, and I always like to study my painting on day two to see it with fresh eyes. I like to go in with new layers of paint to deepen hues and darken shadows to add dimension to The Secret Garden. 

 

Now that the painting is complete, I imagine myself sitting on a bench beneath climbing roses, listening to the robin’s song. 

 

 

➡️ Click HERE to view the finished map! 

Whether you grew up with these stories or read them aloud now to little ones, I hope this map brings a bit of that quiet joy into your home.

Every piece tells a story, and I’m so grateful to share them with you.

 

⭐ Click HERE to see all Secret Garden gifts. ⭐

Happy reading!

 

P.S. Are you looking for more spring gifts? Check out my colorful Hymn Tea Towels. 

 

📖  Click HERE to browse over 40 Story Maps