This is the story of a simple gardener whos life was turned around by some stranger who saw potential in the work of a dead bush. And about how I worked one of the worlds most enchanting palace. I started my life long project in the summer of 1664. Previously I had been living lived in a poor, filthy, rundown inn making 50 cents a day to trim the decaying trees and bushes. I  had been dreaming all my life to be able to escape my prison and create my masterpiece. After 30 long years, I was about to experience the most meticulous, mysterious, and magical part of my life. While I had been on my lunch break, feasting of the free day old sandwiches; I was introduced to André Le Nôtre, who offered me my ultimate dream job. He proposed the greatest project and the greatest risk I could have imagined. He informed me that King Louis XIV had concocted the idea of a new, polished palace for his family, and he named it the palace of Versailles. I had been offered a position of groundskeeper. This meant that I would be molding piles of useless grass into magnificent art. At the time this absolutely shocked me because I was a simple gardener who tended to dead plants, and I had been offered to work for the King of France. 

I arrived the next day to the my future. To say the least, it was atrocious. Mangled vines hung from every branch, and dead brush was crumbling beneath our feet. The scene could have been be taken out of a black and white horror film. There wasn’t an inch of land not bathed in dirt and grime. André Le Nôtre laid out his plans and described in intricate detail what the gardens would aspire to be. I looked dubiously across the miles of acreage trying to picture the scene in my mind. As I gazed around the vast area small fractions of fountains and trees started to form across my vision creating a blueprint across my vision. Eagerly I headed to work, slicing and sliding stubs and shrubs out of the way to make room for my masterpiece.

I worked long tedious hours under the burning gaze of the sun and the desolate humidity of the summer. All the chaos has been removed revealing an expansive terrain prepared to be transformed. I took a deep breath of the damp air to clear my mangled thoughts and began my work. First I traced the intricate outline of the fountain so I could accurately assess the remaining space I had to work. At first I worked hesitantly, guessing where I might put a rose bush or a pine tree, but eventually curves and swirls danced around me as I preformed  quick confident strokes on the ground. I imagine the esteemed lords and ladies glaring down at me as I engulf the stone that their faultless faces will be etched into with mazes of flowers. The sound of my paintbrush grinding through the powder of dirt to create a random yet immaculate design. I embraced the feeling of my rough calloused hands gripping the firm wood, and the sensation of pain as invisible shards of wood penetrated my skin. But I didn’t mind, I harnessed the pain using it to push my vision to higher levels. I danced around the never ending void of ground, creating what must look like insaneness to the untrained eye. I pause to admire my work, astonished with the outcome and unaware of the hour. The sun was is already hidden behind the high cliffs of the distant mountains. Sighing, I forced myself to vacate my sacred area and return to the inn I call home.

The following day I started gathering what trees and flowers I wanted to assemble in my garden. I wanted to find the perfect plants that would complement each other and create a dignified scent for to the regal courtyard. I've always known that I was going to use hedges because they are a sturdy plant that lives throughout all four seasons. It also is easily moldable into a sorts of wacky or domestic shapes. Even though much of the garden’s layout is whimsical and different I still wanted to bring a royal sense to the scene, which meant that I need a simple, versatile tree to correspond with the hedges. After long begrudged hours browsing for the perfect tree, I stumbled upon a Corcasin pine. This trees closely resembles a Christmas tree, they both have stout leaves that stick straight out that causes the tree to look broader and thicker than the actually are. These coned shaped trees can border almost anything, they can mark walkways without being intrusive to the guests, and they also can be melded into the landscape to give the space a sense of volume. The palace that was almost done with construction with unbelievable, gold staining nearly every pillar, window, and balcony. Statues and monuments peppered the floors. This glittering palace an equally stunning surrounding. The flowers needed to be this focale point. I wanted a colorful display to capture the dignified area to make the picture glow. Tuberoses, jasmine and pinks were the primary trio of flowers I chose to display. The fragrance captured an image of a sunrise glinting through the tips of trees.

As I recalled these wonderful memories and all the choices I had to make to please the beloved King, I smile to myself. Even after 30 years I wouldn’t give up all those devastatingly long draining days. I still visit the gardens to this day, the King has graciously allowed me to entertain myself there when he doesn’t have company, so I am always welcome to admire and relish in my masterpiece. I wander the boundless gravel paths, reliving my work and the work of so many others. The sight is breathtaking no matter how many times I see it, I am always mesmerized. There is always that moment of awe whenever I walk through the sparkling golden gates into the majestic gardens. The delicate branches that curve like a tail of monkey, the orray of flowers that shimmer night and day, and the unblemished statues that pierce your skin with their withering gaze. Even though I can spot specks of imperfection, such as a bare spot of flowers or a dying bush, it’s still perfect to me.