73 Out of the Garden, Into the Books
January 6, 2023
75 Trees Outlet
February 8, 2023
Cricklewood Secret Garden
2816 Brundage Ln, Bakersfield, CA 93304 • (661) 325-9928
Website • Facebook
I t was 115 degrees in Bakersfield the day AP and I visited this gem of a place. As I write this in the middle of January, does a hot day sound nice? NOT! I’ll take 45 degrees any day because “it’s easy to warm up,” they say and—especially for me—”hard to cool down.”
I’ve told you that my husband gets so cold in Winter he goes into hibernation. Well get this…he tries to keep the house at 75 degrees by running the pellet stove AND the fire stove 24/7—which is just CRAZY because the AC pops on at 75! It’s so warm in our house I’m forced to dress for Summer in shorts and t-shirts. Gawd, we are a pair!
Doesn’t Cricklewood’s entrance look charming?! I love that overgrown look. It reminds me of fairytales—which don’t come true, but they still make good reading! Right?
Entering those gates you get a sense you’re walking into someone’s private home and garden fantasy. That’s why I call Cricklewood a nursery garden. Even though the sign says “Botanical Garden,” I personally did not see anything “botanical” about it. But who am I to judge when the place makes me feel like I’m in a fairytale? (A hot one.)
A few steps into this nursery garden and at every turn you are surrounded by plants, pots, fountains, and garden art in dreamy arrangements—which causes you to do that magical 360-degree turn every 3 steps so you don’t miss seeing a thing.
I love to twirl.
No fairytale is complete—especially not for AP—unless there are succulents!
And here, there are…
In that first succulent photo there’s an old wine bottle on the wall behind the arrangement. I know for a fact that a few of you Readers chug wine like water and must have plenty of empty bottles lying around. Now there’s an idea for you!
(Mike and I are not into wine much. He’s a beer snob, and I like a nice assortment of cocktails—though not all at once. Maybe.)
In the real world, my potting bench isn’t so nicely displayed as that. I actually USE mine. But when you see one displayed like a scene from a fairytale movie, it makes you want to do the same with yours!
I do love love love this…
I have plain old stepping stones at my place waiting for me to do the same.
Now, take a hot day, add water fountains, ponds, shade trees and humid pergolas, and what do you get?
Moss. And, I might add, a bad hair day. Gawd it was hot—which was the one thing constantly reminding us we were not in an actual fairytale where people don’t sweat.
But then Cricklewood’s sweet garden streams and ponds pulled us back into the dream with a cooling effect.
I love the texture and style of these leather-covered chairs and table…
But try sitting in them! I was afraid I would break them. Some things are nice to look at and to imagine in your garden space, but worth the purchase? Nope.
Cricklewood has a gift shop with a nice assortment of knick-knacks that, I must say, were not crap. But in my opinion many things were a tad overpriced.
Case in point…
I really really really wanted that lemon bowl. But $350??? NOPE—though it did take a few return looks before I came to that conclusion.
The lemon bowl and this white one would look so lovely in my home. I mean if I’m going to set out a bowl of fruit, they must be in a beautiful bowl! Or why bother?
But pay $300 for the white one? Another regretful nope. In the middle of a fairytale, reality can be so annoying.
As much as AP and I loved this darling place, neither of us bought a thing. But even in 115-degree weather, visiting Cricklewood was definitely worth it—even if only for the fabulous ideas that caught our imaginations and got them stirring.
That’s how AP and I roll!
