Read Online Jennifer's Garden by Dianne Venetta - Free Book Online Page B

photographer assessing his shot.  “I can imagine a few terra-cotta planters filled with dark green shrubs.”  Jackson stopped, as though it had just occurred to him to ask her opinion.  “Do you lean toward a manicured look or more natural and free?”
    “Natural,” she replied, though he most probably took her for the manicured type.  She’d always preferred the natural fall of plants and flowers, growing as nature intended them.
    “I assume you’re planning on using a professional yard service, to take care of the property for you?”
    “Yes,” she replied, taking offense to the insult she thought she detected in his voice.  “I work.  I don’t have time to take care of a lawn.”  And Aurelio would no sooner cut the grass than tune his car engine.  His time was too valuable.  In fact, he chose high-rise living on South Beach for that very reason.
    “No problem.  But if you change your mind, I design a garden to live by.”
    She gaped at him.  “What?”
    “Live your garden.”  He slapped both hands back to his hips, slipping fingers into the front pockets.
    She assumed the concept was universal, though she had no idea what it meant.
    Jackson merely smiled.
    Not a cloud in the sky, it was growing uncomfortably warm.  While she may not know, he didn’t have to know she didn’t know.  “Of course.  A garden to live by.”
    “It’s my own slogan.”
    Her pulse tripped over the blunder.
    “It describes the essence of how I design.  Your garden should be a reflection of you.”  He paused, his eyes and interest taking her in more fully.  “It should mirror your image of leisure, enjoyment.  It’s the place where you can unwind, relax...  Do nothing if you choose...or everything—depending on your personality.”  He smiled as though a secret was unwinding between them.  “Some clients want a party atmosphere in their backyard, while others want a tranquil environment, where they can escape the hustle and bustle of the city, the office.  The goal varies, but the heart of the garden is the same.”
    What Jackson was describing, seemed more like a slice of psychology than landscape design.
    He glanced around, a quick survey of the grounds, then settled his gaze on her.  He smiled and his voice dropped to quiet tones.  “It should be a place where you want to spend your time.  If we succeed, the job of maintenance won’t seem like a job at all.  Rather than a chore, you’ll enjoy the upkeep of your space.  Weed a little here, prune a little there...”  Dancing brown eyes landed on her as he grinned.  “I call it living your garden, a must for success.”
    Growing up, it was her mother who clipped the weeds and pruned the flowers.  She trimmed and mulched and spent hour upon hour keeping up with the grinding chore of maintenance.  All this time, Jennifer had viewed the endeavor as a backbreaking necessity.  Was she wrong?  Had she been “living her garden” as Jackson implied?
    “Do you have an idea for what you want to see out here?”
    Jennifer looked at him with what surely must have been a dumb stare.  Her fundamental plan had called for trees and shrubs, some grass and a few beds of flowers.  This talk of fountains and statues, and living the garden threw her wholly off kilter!  “Oh, uh, I don’t know...”  She glanced around, feeling like an ill-prepared first-year resident.  “Hibiscus,” she murmured.  “Maybe some bougainvillea...”
    “Nice choices.”
    But not near as well thought out as your ideas.  “I’ve always wanted a fruit tree,” she added meekly.
    “You certainly have enough sun for them.”
    Habitat; an obvious consideration, yet the thought never crossed her mind.  While she may know what she liked, she had no idea if it would grow in her yard.  Immobile, Jennifer suddenly felt ignorant.  It was a state of mind to which she was unaccustomed.  And one she didn’t care for.
    “Listen,” he said, and gently took charge.