In a quiet heart once did reside
A garden beating, its beauty tied
To blossoms exuding a fragrant grace
Yearning for melodies to embrace

With eyes aglow as autumn's ember
See blooms reaching for the sky's tender
In life's embrace and meadows wide
Patience becomes the garden's guide

As you stroll along the winding path of the small web, the rustle of leaves and the melody of birdsong accompany your every step. Suddenly, a hidden spot reveals itself – a secret garden with open gates. The air carries the sweet fragrance of hyacinth blossoms, enticing you to explore further. You notice a little overhead sign that reads: Florrie’s Garden. With curiosity, you make your way inside, where sunlight filters through the foliage, revealing a peaceful scenario. In this hidden refuge, time seems to pause, offering a moment of respite from the fleetness of everyday life. You discover a sense of peace and wonder, as if stumbling upon a secret haven amidst the chaos of the world. You decide to explore around.

You stumble upon a garden with open gates

Hello, new friend. My name is Florrie and this is my home on the small internet. I want you to make yourself comfortable. Grab a glass of water or a warm cup of tea. Settle yourself into a nice position, and let's have a conversation for a while. I created this space because I wanted to have somewhere I could write about things that brought me delight: poems that inspired me, lessons that I learnt about living, places that I visited, practices that brought me peace, and all sorts of inspirations found in the quotidian.

My hope for this virtual home is to slowly collect a treasure chest of memories that, upon retrospection in the future, will allow me to revisit the moments that slowly molded me as a person, and all the lovely things that I tried to surround myself with. I have always been a believer that the simple moments are the treasures of a human existence, and that by preserving them you can keep your past alive and make the present a little more meaningful. Sometimes, this place also feels like a refuge. When I lose myself in the hastiness of life, I return here to be reminded of who I really am and of the things that truly matter. To me, this garden feels safe and heartening, and I hope that it might also offer some kind of comfort to you.

What blossoms in a digital garden?

Before the corporations and the restraining walls of social media came to be, the internet used to be a place for people to express themselves, explore their creativity and communicate sincerely. Now, we live in an era dominated by algorhythms that intentionally restrict individuality, encourage negative emotional responses to increase user interaction and maim people's self-confidence to sell them products. I realised that I wanted to dedicate my time to a place that would allow me to express myself positively and mindfully. That's why I wanted to create a space for myself, inspired by the lovely days when the internet was simpler and every page carried the story of a real person living in this wild world.

During the slow process of learning how to build myself a little virtual house, I came across a concept that changed the way I thought about online spaces. It's called a Digital Garden. A garden is a virtual space where you plant your thoughts into pages and slowly tend them into becoming fully developed notes. It's an alternative to the chronological web, where everything is shared as a finished product in a stagnant moment in time. In a digital garden, everything is always growing and changing all at once. You choose the interests, thoughts, or ideas that you want to cultivate, and devote your time to care for them slowly.