The Girls in the Garden: A Novel

Content Warning: The source text includes the assault of a minor, the death of a minor, suicide, substance overdose, and depictions of a schizophrenic episode.

The motif of the changing seasons develops the theme of The Dual Nature of Green Spaces. The Wilds move into the Virginia Park community in January. The park is a “mystery during these winter months [...] it wasn’t until the onset of spring [...] that the secrets of the winter were revealed” (17). The winter season doesn’t allow for much socializing in the park due to the cold. The seasonal isolation and hibernation reflect how the Wild family, as the newest residents, don’t know much about their neighbors yet. There is a kind of darkness to the private park.

When spring comes, the darkness lifts and people begin spending time together in Virginia Park. Socializing in the green space is weather-dependent. When “the sun was out but it wasn’t that warm; there were people scattered here and there” (98). Only a few people come out when it is still chilly. Spring is when Grace and Dylan’s romance begins, and when Pip can play with Rhea’s rabbit. This is a more positive time when connections are made.