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v. 1.to wake from sleep; 2 to make sharply aware; n. the act of waking
Each morning brought a new awakening shoot, pale green and trembling, pushing through the cold Yorkshire soil.
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adj. not pleasant or enjoyable; causing discomfort.
Mary had always been disagreeable and sour, yet the garden coaxed something gentler slowly out of her.
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v. grow vigorously; to reach a desired level of accomplishment
By midsummer the once-dead garden was fully flourishing, rioting with colour from wall to mossy wall.
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adv. acting on instinct without thinking about it.
Mary instinctively knelt beside the small green spike, knowing without being told that something precious grew there.
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n. a deep feeling of sadness or sorrow.
Archibald Craven remained melancholy and distant, unable to enter any room that reminded him of his lost wife.
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adj. not cared for or given attention.
The neglected garden had been locked and forgotten for ten years, its door hidden beneath a curtain of ivy.
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adj. covered with plants or grass that have grown too tall.
The overgrown roses still clung to the old stone walls, alive beneath their tangle of grey and withered stems.
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v. to make someone or something feel young again.
The open air and digging seemed to rejuvenate Colin in ways that no doctor's remedy had ever managed.
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adj. able to make something strong and healthy again
The Yorkshire air proved deeply restorative, bringing colour to Colin's pale cheeks within a fortnight of going out.
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adv. in a way that shows deep respect.
The children spoke reverently of the garden's magic, as though the very soil were something sacred and alive.
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adj. being alone or without companions.
Mary had lived a solitary existence in India, surrounded by servants yet beloved by absolutely no one at all.
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adv. tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
Colin stubbornly refused to leave his room until Mary described the garden in such vivid detail he wept.
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adv. in a way that is not definite or certain.
Mary tentatively pushed the door open, half expecting the garden to vanish like something from a dream.
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v. to change completely in form or appearance.
Dickon had the rare gift to transform any wild or frightened creature into a willing and trusting companion.
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adj. demanding strength or energy; very active
Colin dug vigorously at the earth, astonished by the strength that had quietly grown inside his own thin arms.
