Once upon a Nursery Rhyme

Mary Mary

Mary Mary quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells
And pretty bells all in a row

The next time we visited dreamland,  we met the sullen girl from the bumper cars she was looking at a flower in the hedgerow, at first I was going to tip toe passed her and hope she was too engrossed in the flower to notice us. Then I thought that would be petty so I called out

" Morning, lovely day"

Without looking up, she replied " it's going to rain"

"Oh, that's a shame"

"The gardens need it" she announced

" that's true, everything is looking rather dry" it was hard work but I was determined to be friendly.

"But we don't want too much rain" she contradicted "it would drown the plants and kill them"

'Goodness me' I thought " what a difficult person, is she really going to contradict everything I say actually she contradicts herself too' I decided to change the subject, maybe she just didn't like talking about the weather, maybe she would prefer to talk about plants if she was a gardener.

" that is a lovely flower, I don't think I've seen one like that, it really is pretty" safe topic surely

"It is not a flower, it is a weed, it is a real pest, why can't people read up about them before planting them , but oh no, oh that looks pretty let's plonk it here, it's  other people that are left to worry about it."

"Well, we had best be on our way, can't keep you chatting all day" I turned in the direction of the village, we set off, then I hesitated, one last attempt

" would you like to walk with us?" I held my breath,

"No,.......thank you" I relaxed and let my breath out, I had found her really difficult to talk to and was quite relieved when she said no, I turned back to the village.

"My name's Mary Mary " she told me suddenly,  it sounded almost friendly,  perhaps she realised that she had been a little offish and was trying to make amends, making up for her earlier abruptness.

" um, I'm Charlie and this is Connie,  say hello Connie"

" Hello"

" Charlie, isn't that a boys name" did she realise how rude she was, she Continued,

"How very strange, did your parents want a boy?"

"It is short for Charlotte " I felt defensive, then I added for good measure, " Connie is short for Constance"

"Humph" she didn't sound impressed,  "I saw you at the county fair didn't I? "

I got the impression  that for all her abruptness and Contrariness she was making a concerted effort to be friendly, I wondered if she had many friends, I felt that her attitude could be a bit off putting to say the least, perhaps she was out of practice,  I had a feeling I knew who she was, I thought I would help her out, after all she was making an effort.

"How does your garden grow?" I asked, her face changed  and she positively glowed.

"Oh, how kind of you to ask, not many do you know, ask that is, would you mind if I change my mind , I do that a lot you know, I would like to walk with you"

My heart sank,

" My garden is a delight to the eye, the colours are incredible,  the scents dizzying to the senses"

She was quite poetical and animated as she spoke about her garden.

"I think the garden is lacking something"

As we walked toward the village, Connie ran on ahead, I got the impression that under her contrary nature, she just wanted a friend.

"Have you considered edging your garden with.........maybe, shells?"

Okay, so I had a little help ! Maybe I helped the nursery rhyme , now that would be a paradox.

Mary Mary gave my suggestion a lot of thought,

"What a splendid idea, hummmmmmmmm,  what could I use for the border? I could make it with Conch shells maybe, I think that would look good"

We were getting along so well I didn't like to put a dampener on her ideas, but I suggested

"Cockleshells" I said it like it had just come to me.

" they are smaller so you would need more of them but I think it would give the garden more continuity,  and I think it would add to the attraction " oh I was laying it on with a trowel.

Mary Mary linked her arm in mine

"Are you a gardener by any chance? Or maybe you are a garden designer,  that would be amazing,  have you any other suggestions? " she asked hopefully

"Well, there is a tree called 'silver bell', I think that is what it is called, or there is the snowdrop tree,  what you could do is either have one as a centrepiece for the garden or you could have a few in a row, or mix and match in a row. Alternatively I like the lily of the valley,  although it is small, it is beautiful and has a lovely scent, you could use both ideas, a tree with the lily of the valley underneath around the base."

"I like that idea, I will have to look for those plants"

I was on a roll now

"You are obviously a gardener so I'm probably selling coals to Newcastle but what about some tall plants, I'm thinking delphiniums and hollyhocks would look good, it would be like pretty maidens all in a row"

That rhyme was making me look good, it was helping my blossoming friendship, I was so glad I had recently browsed through that gardening brochure. Mary Mary squeezed my arm excitedly

"You are so much nicer than the last visitor we had"

My heart leapt

"Visitor? "

"Yes, I did not like her one bit, she had a howling baby with her, she came crashing down on my garden, Completely totalling it, stomping around,  what a mess she made, that is why I am having to start again, I can't thank you enough for all your gardening tips. Sadly I have to leave you now, this is my cottage, would you like to come in for a while? No ! You really must come back and visit me sometime,  I would love for us to be friends"

She waved goodbye and went through the garden gate.

"Connie, did you come here with your mum? Was she the visitor? How on earth did she trash Mary Marys garden?"

Connie didn't give me any answer, she just smiled.