As a public space, it works, but only a perennial fanatic will explore the vast fringe. Examine your own reactions to the parts of your garden. The areas where you spend your casual time have captured and retained your interest through complexity. Now try to bring that complexity to the beds where you do not linger, that don t capture your interest. The element of mystery is not the same as the element of surprise.
Mystery is a promise of more to come.
After all, a satisfying mystery book has a progression of revelations that invites you to sleuth, to second-guess the author, and has a solution at the end. A rash of mystery authors keep you confused through most of the book and then throw in a surprise twist at the end, or leave you in doubt as to whether the mystery was really solved, but these are not comfortable mysteries. Mystery is in the details that would normally be overlooked. It might be a special texture of a tree, or a small cluster of delicate ferns. In an earlier article, we talked about thresholds, where visitors generally pause if only to open a gate, and perfect spots for small discoveries.