The Forest Grove
To create a sense of safety, a garden must be calm, bright, warm and friendly, which is why the garden room of safety became a forest grove. Astrid Lindgren understood that children need safety; it was a theme she talked about a lot and depicted over and over again in her books. Children need to grow up in an environment where they feel a sense of belonging and have security, so that they can develop their independence and self-esteem.
Security and a rush of flowers
Hannu Sarenström is a horticultural visionary and composed the layout of the Forest Grove. This is what he says of the nature in the grove: “The grove is closest to our hearts both in the garden and in nature. In the garden we can control its content and create strangely beautiful experiences. After a period of colourlessness come budding leaves and shimmering blossoms: never is it so beautiful as in the first two weeks of May. Perhaps that is what we need most, a temporary rush of flowers and an excess of beauty after a long melancholy winter.”
“The Ericsson children at Näs were called Gunnar, Astrid, Stina and Ingegerd. It was good to be a child there and to be a child of Samuel August and Hanna. Why was it so good? I have tried to determine the answer to that, and I think I know. We had two things that made our childhood what it was – security and freedom. It was safe with those two who cared so much about each other and were always there if we needed them, but otherwise let us freely and happily scale the fantastic playground of our childhood Näs.”
From ‘Samuel August från Sevedstorp och Hanna i Hult’ by Astrid Lindgren
Read more about the gardens
The Leaf Hall
In the centre of the open grassland just east of Astrid Lindgren’s childhood home, a group of birch trees have formed an oval room.
The moss garden
A forest room where everything falls still and quiet.
The third chapter
The path continues up a magnificent cherry staircase, into the Oak Grove of creativity, along brave paths to the gates of the pastures.