A Forest Garden

A couple of weeks after Jasper moved into Kiki Lane, his workshop was finally ready. Kiki had suggested to him an old, unused small barn for him to use as it had previously been used by the craft fairies as their workspace. The size and space the barn provided was perfect for Jasper, however, there had been a lot of work that needed to be done before he could start using it.

The large wooden double doors at the entrance needed quite a few repairs, along with roof which wasn’t fully weatherproof anymore. For Jasper, however, the repairs were all light work, something he was very used to fixing, and very skilled at.

The mess inside the barn, on the other hand, was another problem. The space was full of dust and dirt after being abandoned for a few years. Cleaning was one of Jasper’s least favourite jobs, so he was very happy when little Piccolo the mouse offered his help once the repairs were complete. Even with Piccolo’s brilliant cleaning skills the barn was still a very large space for one little mouse, so it took a few extra days before Jasper was ready to start working on the rest of the village.

With so many tasks for Jasper to complete in the village it was a bit hard to know where to start, so the skilled carpenter turned to the residents for help. In the end it was a unanimous decision; the community spaces needed attention first to make the village more enticing for visitors.

Everyone was noticing how many of the creatures were still struggling to decide where to sit, especially after purchasing a snack or drink in the market square. There were so many benches that were in desperate need of repair so Jasper began work on the ones that seemed most important.

With the help of Kai the red dragon, the tiger loaded as many benches from around the library, inn and market onto his wagon and brought them to his workshop to restore them to working order.

In the meantime, Kiki had remembered the small community garden that was located near the market square. In its prime it was a very popular location with fairies visiting it for a moment of peace, or using it as a meeting point where friends sat and chatted looking over the beautiful flowers and wildlife. It had been a wonderful place that had been looked after by all the plant and flower fairies but now it was just an overgrown mess.

It needed a lot of work but it was an important place to bring life back into and Kiki was sure all the visitors would appreciate it. Right now, however, it was full of weeds and overgrown plants. The wonderful fence that had stretched around the outside was now rotten and fallen down, and somewhere under all the foliage there were some benches, probably also in desperate need of repair.

After Kiki mentioned the garden to everyone over dinner one night, someone stepped forward to offer their help. Rowan, who had been staying in the inn since autumn, proposed a suggestion - he could try and clear the weeds and cut back the overgrown bushes and plants whilst Jasper finished the village benches. Hopefully, if the timing was right, the garden would be ready when the carpenter had finished his current workload. If it was successful, Jasper would then have the space he needed to access the hidden garden benches and fallen down fence.

With everyone agreeing to this plan, Jasper and Rowan continued to work on their respective projects with the village’s support encouraging them onwards. Rowan was able to make good progress and soon all the village benches Jasper had fixed were back in their original places. The garden still looked a mess, as the ground was mainly mud with piles of cut back foliage dotted around, but Rowan had achieved what he had set out to do. Jasper could get everywhere he needed to so Rowan’s work was a success. The only problem was that the garden was certainly not at all inviting!

When Jasper went to investigate the newly cleared garden, he could see the potential. It was a wonderful size and in the perfect spot but not knowing anything to do with gardening, he had no idea how to bring the wonderful space back to its former glory

Realising they were at a bit of a dead end, the villagers got together to have a small meeting and discuss how to move forward. No-one had any experience with gardening and as plant fairies had originally looked after the space, none of the current fairies had any idea either.

During the discussion, however, Rowan remembered a spot in the forest he had come across a few times. There always seemed to be so many more flowers that bloomed there and the plants flourished. There was something about the area that felt like it wasn’t just thriving in a wild way, but as if there was someone who had deliberately planted things and tended to them to let them bloom with more fragrance and colour than usual.

Not being very good with directions, he struggled to remember exactly where it was in the forest but there was only one thing he could remember - it had been near a small pond. Yukiko the penguin, who was also still residing at the inn, heard this informations and quickly went to fetch the map she had brought with her on her journey to the Emerald Forest.

After laying it out on the table, everyone looked at the map for some clue as to where this amazing spot might be. Finally, Lumi the little ice dragon spotted the name of a possible pond in the north of the forest - Blossom Pool. There was only one pond marked in the entire forest on the map; this must be the right place.

Kiki’s wings tingled at the thought of another adventure; she was desperate to go and investigate. Looking at the map, however, she realised instantly that she would struggle to find the place as she was really not very good with directions. Voicing her concern to the group she was pleased to hear Yukiko’s brilliant suggestion to ask Maya for help.

Yukiko had been helped by Maya to get to Kiki Lane, as in fact had Rowan. On top of this, with the pond being a water source, Maya surely must have been there before. It was the perfect solution.

The following morning, after eating a hearty breakfast, Kiki made her way over to the river to find Maya. After travelling this route a number of times before she had finally learnt how to get there quickly. Explaining the situation to Maya, Kiki was relieved that the water fairy was happy to guide her that day to Blossom Pool. For Maya it would be a nice trip with a friend, and another chance for her to check on the water whilst she was there.

The two fairies made their way up north, flying through the trees at top speed. They spent their time talking about the community garden, sharing their memories of it together. At the same time, they began to wonder who they would find. They were unsure if they would find a creature or a plant fairy. Would it be someone from the fairy village?

They finally arrived at the clearing just before Blossom Pool in the distance. As Maya made her way over to the pond, Kiki surveyed her surroundings. There were so many different varieties of flowers blooming, some on bushes, others sprouting out of the ground in an array of beautiful colours. It was a stunning sight to behold. This was what the community garden needed.

Out of the corner of her eye Kiki spotted a wheelbarrow sitting by a small flowerbed. Someone must be here, she thought to herself. Looking round she couldn’t see anyone. Perhaps they were hiding? “Hello! Is anyone here?” she called out hopefully. Suddenly both fairies heard a rustling sound coming from one of the nearby bushes.

As Maya made her way over to join Kiki, two long beige ears peeked out from the bush. Soon, a beautiful rabbit with beige fur and a creamy white belly appeared. Dirt dusted her hands and feet and a couple of leaves rested on her head. Striking pink eyes looked at the two fairies curiously.

*

Kassia had been hard at work tending to the plants in what she considered her garden. In reality the space she put so much love into was not her own at all, it was just a clearing in the forest near her home, but she liked to think of it as her own. That morning she had been bringing over some soil and sprouting plants in her wheelbarrow to the area she had been working on for the last couple of days.

It was beautiful weather to be gardening, not too hot or cold and no rain. She had been hoping to be able to work for the whole day undisturbed. However, as she was planting one of the plants she had heard the chatter of two creatures and the fluttering of wings. It didn’t sound like someone she knew. Unsure who was there she quickly dove into one of the nearby bushes, hoping to be unseen. She had forgotten, however, that her wheelbarrow was still sitting on the grass quite obviously.

Hearing one of them call out to ask if there was anyone there she realised there was no use in hiding, they knew someone was around. As she poked out of the bush, Kassia was very shocked to see two fairies standing nearby. They looked equally surprised to see her so she stood and looked at them for a while, wondering what they were doing there.

Looking at the two fairies, Kassia recognised one of them. With deep indigo hair and beautiful translucent blue wings, this was definitely the fairy that came to check on Blossom Pool every now and agin. Kassia always hid when the blue fairy arrived but had often peeked through the bush she was hiding in. She could easily recognise a frequent visitor.

The other fairy, however, was not someone the bunny had come across before and she struggled to identify what type of fairy the purple winged one might be. She had some experience with fairies herself so she knew some of the different types, but the blonde fairy in front of her was a bit of a mystery.

After recovering from the shock, the blonde fairy began making her way over with a friendly smile, with the blue fairy following closely behind. They politely greeted Kassia and introduced themselves as Kiki and Maya. Kassia was pleased to finally know the blue fairy’s name after seeing her so many times before.

 

Their conversation quickly moved on to discuss all of the flowers and plants nearby and Kassia was pleased to have a comfortable topic to talk about. Both fairies seemed very interested to find out if she had been the one who looked after all the plants. She enthusiastically explained that it was but when they asked if she did it all by herself, she hesitated, hoping they wouldn’t realise she was keeping something from them.

“Are you interested in gardening yourself?” she asked, trying to deflect their previous question.

Kiki admitted that they knew little on the subject, which slightly disappointed the rabbit. However, with the mention of a community garden in their village that needed lots of help, Kassia’s ear twitched in excitement.

“Where is your village?” queried Kassia hopefully. Kiki quickly explained about an old fairy village they were turning into a home for all creatures called Kiki Lane and Kassia replied with a small smile. The fairy village? The thought excited her for many reasons.

Focusing on the garden for now, Kassia’s mind began to swirl with ideas. She had alway loved the thought of working on another garden somewhere else, showing it the same love and care she had in the forest clearing. And there was always something that felt wrong about a garden that wasn’t being cared for. She needed to help them!

“If it’s a gardener you need, could I come and help?” she asked, trying not to get too excited.

*

Kiki was thrilled that the rabbit had asked her first. It was just what they needed, so she readily accepted the offer.

As Kiki began to formulate a plan in her head, it dawned on her how far away Kiki Lane was from where they were. It would be impossible for the bunny to get any work done if she had to travel every day. The village was still hoping and preparing for more paying visitors at the inn but they still had so many vacant rooms. What difference would one more free guest make if they were going to help the village? “Would you like to stay in the village with us while you work on the garden Kassia? It would be the least we could do for all your help” offered the purple fairy hopefully.

Kassia thought this was a wonderful idea, and was excited to visit Kiki Lane and stay at the inn. After all, she had never stayed at an inn before. But as she began to think about everything she would need to take with her, Kassia was unsure how it would all be possible. She had so many tools, plants and seeds she would need to bring with her, let alone some personal belongings. How would the three of them manage to carry it all? “My tools” she fretted, “How would we get everything there?”

Kiki was stumped at the question. How would they get everything moved? Thankfully Maya had already thought ahead whilst the pair had been talking and had the perfect answer. If Kassia returned with them with some personal belongings she could see the garden and plan what she needed to bring with her. Then, Jasper could help Kassia travel home with his wagon in tow, collect all her things, load them onto the wagon and return with them to Kiki Lane in the space of a couple of days.

Hearing Maya’s wonderful idea, Kassia quickly collected some things from home into a fabric bag and returned to the waiting pair of fairies.

Soon the trio were off, making their journey back to Kiki Lane - on foot this time. As they walked together they got to know one another more. Kiki excitedly asked Kassia what she liked to grow and Maya questioned how long the bunny had been gardening. Kassia answered their questions openly, looking forward to the new challenge that awaited.

It was late afternoon when they arrived at Kiki Lane, tired and very hungry from their travels. With stomachs growling they headed first to the market square to visit Mishka’s bakery for some lunch. After purchasing her food Maya soon said her goodbyes and made her way home, leaving Kiki and Kassia alone. Kassia had chosen a wonderful iced cinnamon bun and was happily devouring it as she waved goodbye. It was one of the best things she had ever tasted.

With their lunch finished, the remaining pair made the short trip over to the nearby community garden. Inside, Jasper was hard at work building a fence on the far side of the space. Kassia looked around and was shocked by the sheer amount of space there was. She was expecting something smaller, but this garden was brimming with potential. It was very obvious that someone slightly inexperienced had recently cleared the space but the result was good enough for the gardening rabbit to work with. She could see the potential it had and how much wonderful wildlife it could attract.

After asking for a pencil and paper Kassia spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting on the garden floor sketching ideas, writing lists, and planning out the space. As the light began to fade she had almost thought of everything. This space would be beautiful, she could feel it.

That evening, as everyone gathered at the inn for dinner, they all dug into a wonderful homemade vegetable lasagna. Everyone was excited to hear what Kassia had planned but her thoughts seemed to be somewhere else. “Ruby, where do you get your vegetables?” questioned Kassia before taking another mouthful of food. The table went quiet, slightly confused.

After a moment of silence, Ruby finally responded “Most of them are foraged but we do often have to buy some in the city which is always quite hard as there are no trade routes here so one of us has to travel there.”

“I see that is quite troublesome. Have you thought of growing them yourself?” answered Kassia looking at the auburn haired mushroom fairy.

Ruby looked down, slightly embarrassed. “I have thought about it but to be honest I would have no idea where to start” she confessed, cutting herself another mouthful.

Realising she was the only one in the village with any experience, Kassia quickly decided she would teach them how to grow their own vegetables while she was here. It would benefit the whole village after all. Hearing Kassia’s offer to teach them, Kiki began to plan in her head where they could put a vegetable garden. There were more and more things she was having to think about now but it made her happy that it was all progress.

 

The following morning Jasper arrived back at the inn with his wagon in tow. Kassia, happy to walk, set off into the trees with Jasper as they made their way back to her house.  The previous day Alula had searched The Great Tree Library for a more detailed map of the forest and had finally found one for them to use. It was a brilliant find which allowed the pair to set off without a guide.

As they travelled together they talked about the community gardens and everything Kassia had planned. Jasper was excited to hear she even had some ideas for things he could create to make the space even more special. A handcrafted bird feeder and some birdhouses would work wonderfully, thought Kassia. And perhaps even a beehive!

Jasper listened to her ideas intently and wished he had thought of some of the ideas sooner. “I wouldn’t know how to look after bees. Would you?” he mused as he pulled the wagon. Kassia was slightly taken aback by his words. “No neither would I” she laughed. Perhaps they should hold off on that idea. Jasper also laughed and made a mental note to add the other items to his list.

They finally made it to Kassia’s house around lunchtime. It was a small little hut which looked almost dug into the earth with grass and wildflowers growing on the roof. It was a quaint little place, perfect for one. As their bellies grumbled they were glad that this time they had thought ahead. Ruby had packed some lunch for them so they quickly polished off their sandwiches before getting back to work.

Kassia had so many things she needed to pack to take back with them as not only was she now working on the community garden, she also needed things for the vegetable patch as well! With so much to pack up it was late by the time they had finished putting everything onto the wagon.

Although her home was small, Kassia had a nice comfortable sofa in the lounge. Realising It was too late to travel back now, she kindly offered Jasper a place there to sleep for the night. They could set off in the morning. Jasper, exhausted from pulling the wagon and then packing it up, happily accepted.

The next morning, with a renewed spring in their step, the pair set off back to Kiki Lane. The wagon’s load was a lot heavier but they were both excited for the work ahead.