“There is always music amongst the trees in the garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it.”
Minnie Aumonier
In my quest to escape the winter funk last month, I planned a play date with my girlfriends at the Royal Botanical Gardens and Dundurn Castle in Hamilton.
The goal was to create a fun change of scenery after being cooped up in the mundanity of a long winter.
This day provided just the boost of sprinkle I needed.
I invite you to come along these glimpses of whimsy, and I encourage you to have your own day of playfulness.
Above all, take note of how a day surrounded by art and colour can have the power to inject magic and motivation, even when you return to your regular days.
Alice in Bloomland
Whimsical tablescapes, painted red roses and a lush garden decorated with dangling teacups took us down a path of life-size enchantment. The theme was an ode to Alice in Wonderland.
Being planted in this colourful space made me realize something.
For one, we were tagged along with my friend’s adorable toddler whom I delightfully observed interact with life-size mushrooms, a hobbit house that had bunny ears on the roof, and a giant floating Mad Hatter hat suspended from the ceiling. To her, that environment of whimsy seemed so natural. With all the colours surrounding her, she was right in her element and didn’t question a thing.
In contrast, as I perused the carefully assembled installations, I couldn’t help but notice the technical side of this exhibit. I knew that sketches, concept boards, late nights and a storage room full of eccentric props were part of the formula to bring this magical world to life. I appreciated the level of planning that a creative team poured into this, while also being envious of that type of creative job.
Both of those observations combined together made me recognize something that felt like somewhat of a permission: this world has plenty of room for imagination, and we adults ought to use more of it in our lives.
Once in a while, our mundanity needs a little shake and we need to return to colour and play the way a 3-year-old toddler does.
“Would you like an adventure now, or shall we have tea first?”
“She knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw.”
“Hum…who’s been painting my roses red…?”
Our day of play continued at the neighbhouring Dundurn Castle where my friend and I, both nostalgia nerds, got lost in time.
A glimpse of Regency Classicism
Dressed in Victorian garment, our tour guide showed us around the neoclassical mansion, recanting stories, quizzing our history knowledge, and highlighted the contrast between the lavish rooms and the workers’ quarters.
The drawing room felt like being on set of a Regency period film. As opulent as it looked with its gilded ornaments and velvet curtains, I was more intrigued about the day-to-day stories and events that happened in that room.
What have these walls witnessed two hundred years ago? Forbidden romance? News of incoming war?
What music was played on the piano, and did the women who looked out the windows ever hope for more?
Making our way down to the kitchen, I was pulled into a deeper layer of daydreaming: cooking & baking in the 19th century.
What recipes and feasts were prepared here? What dishes were displayed on the blue & white Chinoiserie platters? What aromas dominated around iron stove on a crisp Fall day in the 1830s?
As our day wrapped up, my mind and soul had been refilled with the twinkle of daydream.
In just one day, I dove into a rabbit hole of enchanting gardens, and I travelled back in time to a neoclassical era.
Back in the city, skyscrapers and touch screens snapped me back to my modern reality.
But I wasn’t quite ready to settle back to the old routine yet. I wanted to stretch out my time at the gardens and castle just a little while more.
For me, that looked like:
- Brewing tea in my teapot instead of pouring straight from an electric kettle
- Enjoying sips of fragrant tea from my vintage teacup instead of a regular mug
- Curling up with a picturesque book under an emerald green blanket on a rainy Saturday
- Plating my breakfast aesthetically in antique servingware
- Arranging fresh flowers in a vase while taking the time to caress the petals between my fingers and having gratitude for their fleeting presence
- Lighting a candlestick with a match after a warm shower and applying fresh bed sheets
Sometimes, to shake off the mundanity of our routine, stepping in a garden or a space that belonged in another era motivates us to reconnect with the existing glitter in our own present life.
So dear friends, I leave you with some prompts to reflect on:
- What places make you feel inspired every time you go? When was the last time you were there?
- Who in your life do you admire for their creativity or free spirit in a way you want to borrow from?
- How do you romanticize your daily life?
- When was the last time you felt playful or did something fun just for the sheer enjoyment of it?
Wishing you all an emergence from the long winter we had, and a return to playfulness in this new season.
xo 🫖
My Turquoise Bag 
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