"Inch By Inch, Row By Row"

Located in Varney, one of the original sixteen sims of Second Life, Varney Garden is a welcoming oasis in this busy region of Sansara. At the landing point, one can pick up a brochure that describes the garden and some of its history. Pygar Bu, owner of the garden, states that he acquired this parcel in 2007 in a land auction. "At that time, the parcel to the east was a nice garden space, with a pond that bordered on my parcel," Pygar commented. "I decided to build a garden space of my own, to complement the existing one, and to blend in a bit with the surrounding parcels." Upon arrival, you will find yourself surrounded by unusual, prehistoric-looking plants, pictured behind the sign below. These immediately caught my attention, having encountered their unforgettable giant leaves (some spanning almost 6 feet!) in two first life locations last year - Whidbey Island, WA, and Inverness, Scotland. They are Gunnera plants, created in SL by Cube Republic.

Pygar continues by mentioning that "the garden itself uses many different creators' plants and trees. I update the garden plantings once a year, and observe some seasonal changes as well." Rez is on in the garden with a 5-minute auto return, and Pygar simply asks that people be respectful if using that feature. Readers may recognize Pygar as the creative force behind several main stage builds at SLB celebrations, and as the designer of "The Burning Man" for the grid's yearly Burn2 events. Located near the lighthouse in Varney Garden is a Man-like statue holding an arc of shimmering fire and light (pictured below). Crafted by Pygar and simply entitled "Joy", the statue is available to purchase for a very reasonable L$30.

Because of the way the paths meander through the parcel, it seems much larger than it is. There is a stone lighthouse perched on a hill, a 7Seas fishing vendor near an inlet filled with waterlilies, a small hobo camp complete with outhouse, a large tree to climb, and a campfire setting for hanging out with friends in the evening. The neighboring parcel to the east has obviously taken great care to fit in with Pygar's build, and you can find some lovely garden features there as well. About the fishing walkway (pictured below, center, complete with Pygar!), he mentions, "the 'Boardwalk' signage and the wooden slat pattern on the 7Seas vendor were created by Alberto Linden for an early feature in this area. After studying photos from 2003-2004, it is believed that the Boardwalk straddled the region border with Minna to the south." I love when people incorporate the history of the Mainland into current builds.

Pygar refers to this as his "Lil Peaceful Plot", and one could certainly spend many a peaceful afternoon wandering through or hanging out in Varney Garden. Take your time, delight in all of the wonderful details hidden around each bend, and maybe even catch a fish or two! If you enjoy your visit, contributions can be left in the watering can at the landing point.

"Inch by inch, Row by row,
Gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe
And a piece of fertile ground."

"Garden Song", by David Mallet (1975), sung by John Denver and The Muppets