‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Ever since I began teaching at the mixed junior-high,’  almost two years ago, the garden had fascinated me.’  Each morning on my walk to work, I would stop a moment at the gate and admire how expertly cared for were the borders leading to the house.’  Here was no ordinary gardener with green fingers but’  a man who not only spoke to plants but who also interpreted their voices.’  For a long time I had been toying with the idea of contacting him.’  One day I made up my mind – I reached out to the phone.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œHullo.’  Is that Mr. Greensmith?’
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  A deep bass answered, ‘œYes.’  Who’™s this calling?’
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  I wondered whether I detected some irritability in Greensmith’™s voice.’  It was important to me that the call go well.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œYou don’™t know me.’  My name is Rockwell, Neil Rockwell.’  For a long time now I have waited for the courage to call you.’  I am a teacher.’  Botany;’  at the school just a little beyond your home. You probably know it – God knows, it’™s noisy enough.’’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Without waiting for any comment I continued:’ ‘  ‘œMr. Greensmith, it’™s your garden that brings me to call you.’’ ‘  I was sure I detected here a sharp intake of breath.’  I paused briefly then continued,’  ‘œI can’™t help but admire and enjoy it every time I pass by.’  It’™s so rich in its summer dress – so full of life;’  I thought perhaps we could meet. I would love to see it from close.’  I should also like very much to get to know the person’  who can make problematic plants grow so well .’  Would this be possible?’’ ‘ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  There was a long pause which started me wondering.’ ‘  Had I said something to startle the man?’  After all I was a total stranger to him having simply looked up his number in the telephone directory.’ ‘  Perhaps’  my call irritated him?’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Then, after just a few seconds but what to me seemed much longer,’  Greensmith’™s bass voice answered pleasantly enough: ‘œYes, I think I would be happy to meet you.’  What did you say your name was? Neil? Neil Rockwell?’ ‘  Well, the garden is my one great pleasure.’  I’™d be pleased to meet’  a person who understands and enjoys plants as much as you obviously do.’
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œWell,’  thank you very much. I am sure’  the visit will be a delight – my also meeting you.’  But Mr. Rockwell I do have two requests of you if you don’™t mind.’  The second may seem a little strange but both are purely in order to get your’  objective opinion.’
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œOf course, go ahead.’
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  There was another brief pause before Greensmith continued’  ‘œI should like you to come in the morning.’ ‘  I always feel that the garden is at its best in the early light with the dew on the lawn.’  The other, I shan’™t accompany you.’  I shall be busy, but don’™t let that disturb you.’  Just let yourself in and inspect the garden all you wish.’  Only from the two pathways, please.’  Would you then call me in the afternoon and’  give me your impression? The gate will be on the latch.’
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  I was not a little surprised at Greensmith’™s approach.’  What gardener, I’  thought, would not want to be in the company of an admirer?’  But I shall respect the man’™s wish,’  I decided,’  and it certainly will be a delight to see the plants from close.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  The next morning I rose a little earlier than usual and’  was outside his gate some fifteen minutes before my usual time. I tried the latch.’  It rose to my touch and, almost timorously, I entered.’  As I took my first steps along the path, I sensed as if I was in the company of another presence impossible to define.’ ‘  The hedge, running to the width just inside the gate had hidden the major part of the garden; the borders of the main pathway to the door had been sufficient to entice me.’  They were so imaginative.’  Even so, I was quite unprepared for what greeted my eyes.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  I have enjoyed gardens as long as I can remember.’  I keep a small one – rather meticulously I feel – but this!’  This was nothing short of’  glorious!’  I walked slowly along the path’  almost unbelievingly wondering whether this Greensmith not only had green fingers,’  but also some telepathic or other communication with plants.’  He had succeeded in creating a little paradise of greenery and colour.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  . Upon a rise in the ground at the far corner,’  a’  whispering fountain became a small stream.’  It flowed over small stony’  out-crops – the water falling, glistening and dancing.’  The dwarf size plants and down- pruned,’  miniature trees lent the plot,’  which was only some ten paces across by twenty long,’  a landscaped effect of a small and wonderful park.’  This was not just a beautiful garden – this was something that’  Greensmith must give his entire life to.’  An ambition achieved.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Here I had another thought.’  Quite suddenly I realised that on all the rather frequent occasions I had passed the place, I had never seen the man working.’  Strange, I thought, such a place would require almost constant work. The thought began to mystify me.’  Wonderingly, not a little as if dreaming, I continued along a second, very narrow path lined with minuscule, perfectly trimmed yet blossoming shrubs of purple heather.’  Beyond these flourished multi- coloured varieties of dwarf’  roses.’  These grew from’  clefts in small rocks that lined a lawn kept to perfection.’  ‘œAlmost blade by blade’, I thought.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  A sudden sound jarred me back to reality.’  The school bell!’  I had completely lost all sense of time and should have been there ten minutes ago!’  With much regret and a final admiring glance over my shoulder, I latched the gate and began at a light jog in the direction of the school the memory of what I had seen haunting me as I went.
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‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œMr. Greensmith.’  I hope this call is not too early.’  I just couldn’™t wait to tell you how astonished I am at your garden.’  It is something of perfect beauty and harmony.’  Exquisite in every detail.’  The symmetry of the design, the colours, the little stream, the love you put in it all blend to make it a miniature paradise.’’  I went on to describe in very great detail all that had thrilled me so much allowing myself to become quite carried away.’  ‘œI can well understand your concern in not letting’  many in to see it.’  But what a pity.’  It really is so very beautiful.’’ ‘  I concluded: ‘œPerhaps now you will tell me little about yourself?’
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œBefore I do so, Neil,’  may I call you that?,’  would you say there is any colour particularly predominant?’
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œWell no, not really – come to think of it,’’  I said thoughtfully.’  The roses, as you know are a variety of colours.’  The dwarf red Regals,’  your yellow dog roses,’  the Marie van Houte.’  But, of course,’  the most extraordinary are the bright orange-come-white William Richardsons.’  As you obviously well know,’  these are so difficult to control being extremely sensitive to even the slightest changes in soil composition and moisture. Predominant colour?’  If any, I would say orange to red on a background of green, of course – but I hasten to add that it’™s the overall picture that is such a delight both for eye and soul.’  I really do congratulate you, Mr. Greensmith on a magnificent and picturesque small paradise.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œWell, Neil, It is most gratifying to hear your describing my work in such glowing words.’  I am,’  in fact, overjoyed ‘“ almost overwhelmed.’  There are not many who’  not only understand and love plants as well as obviously you do but could describe it so well.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  My love for gardening began when I was a boy accompanying my father on his rounds in our large garden in the country. That was some forty five years ago.’  My present one is a compacted version of’  that’  very one and’  helps me keep alive my father’™s memory which I cherish.’  You see, I know it so well,’  I am unable to see it as a stranger would.’
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œYou must spend a great deal of’  your time in it. You’™re lucky to have so much time. But I never see you working,’  this is surely strange for a garden requiring so much attention?’
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œMy time is my own .’  I was wounded in the war and ever since, I have made this the only real thing I do except for taking care of the house and myself.’  I am usually in it in the early hours doing my house work during the day. Often I’™m in the garden in the late evening.’  You probably’  know that plants are less busy then, and more responsive to care?’  Yes, I should like to meet you… ‘œ
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  But’  my mind was racing now.’  I imagined the wounded man,’  probably on hands and knees ‘˜tending his plants.’  No wonder he didn’™t want to be seen.’  No wonder, too, that the shrubs and trees were all’  so small.’  A perfect reason to miniaturise the plants he obviously loved so well.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  The meeting was arranged for the early evening the next Saturday and I could hardly contain my curiosity and excitement as the time approached.’  As expected, the gate was on the latch.’  I once again walked the path admiringly to the front door which was embellished with a finely polished brass knob.’  I rang the bell. There was a shuffling of slippered feet which, I must admit,’  set me wondering just a little.’  The door opened and’  I almost sighed my relief when before me stood a tall, well-groomed man with hair greying at the temples wearing a casual shirt and jeans. He was smiling pleasantly as he said not without humour and in the deep bass I now recognised well,’  ‘œMr. Rockwell, I presume?’ and laughed.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  I was delighted not to be confronted’  with the wheel-chair’  I had been expecting and with a touch of humour and in an almost identical way, I answered:’ ‘  ‘œMr. Greensmith.’’ ‘  But,’  suddenly’  shocked,’  I noticed that the hand’  he extended to me’  had been thrust in front of him and not met mine. Noticed, too, an unmistakable blank look’  in his eyes.’ ‘ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  In a stunned silence, my mind in pain,’  I moved my hand to his,’  grasping and shaking it warmly.’ ‘  His words continued as if in background to my distressed and racing thoughts: ‘œNeil, you no doubt understand now why I was not with you on your first visit.’  I wanted so much an objective description.’  Before we go inside, would you accompany me while you describe the garden more fully ?’’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  I warmed to the man.’  I felt I had suddenly found a friend.’  ‘œBut how could you …’, I began stammeringly, ‘œhow on earth were you able’¦?’’  My words came disjointedly, I not knowing how to express my shock at what I had just stumbled into.’  His reply , spoken with patience and humour cut short my embarrassment.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘œIsn’™t it amazing what one can do with the senses, Neil – touch and smell?’ Then after a pause, ‘œAnd with words!’  Your description made me so happy – I felt that for the first time I was actually seeing the garden for myself!’