The Secret Garden : Shari Ford's Photo and Portrait Contest

For the seventh year in a row, we are delighted to launch a new photo and painting contest with the wonderfully talented oil portrait artist Shari Ford. This year, the theme takes us somewhere magical: into a secret garden.

Dress your child in her favourite Charlotte sy Dimby dress, step outside into a garden full of wonder, and capture the moment. One lucky winner will receive an original impressionist oil painting created from her photograph.

The Story Behind the Theme

A lifelong lover of gardens, Shari has always found them to be a source of creativity, serenity and endless inspiration. Her own garden has long been a cherished sanctuary, a place apart from the world. However, not long ago, a series of storms brought trees crashing down across it, leaving much of that beloved space buried and broken. What had been a living, breathing retreat was suddenly lost.

Rather than turn away from it, Shari began the slow, tender work of restoration. Clearing, replanting, coaxing life back into the soil. And in that process, something unexpected happened: the experience began to mirror the story at the heart of Frances Hodgson Burnett's beloved classic, The Secret Garden. In Burnett's novel, a forgotten garden is rediscovered and slowly brought back to life through care, patience, and hope. 

The connection to Knoxville, Shari's hometown, adds another layer of meaning. Burnett spent part of her teenage years there, and many believe the lush landscapes of East Tennessee quietly shaped the imagery that would eventually become The Secret Garden. That spirit lives on today at the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, where a garden inspired by her work continues to bloom.

It felt only natural to bring that world to life through the eyes of childhood, through flowing dresses and hidden gates and flowers coming back into bloom.

Requirements

Photograph your child outdoors in a Charlotte sy Dimby dress, in a garden, park, or any green and floral setting that feels like it could belong in a storybook. Think blooming borders, mossy paths, old stone walls, wildflower meadows, or a quiet corner of your own backyard.

Please make sure the dress is clearly visible in the photograph, particularly any smocking, embroidery, or other details such as ruffles. The dress is part of the magic, so let it shine.

Boys are warmly welcome to take part wearing their Charlotte sy Dimby outfits. Sibling pictures are also encouraged.

Submission

To enter, share your photo on Instagram tagging @sharifordportraits and @charlotte_sy_dimby, then send a high resolution version by email to info@charlottesydimby.com.

You are welcome to submit as many photographs as you like.

The closing date is the 15th of July 2026.

Photo Tips

A camera with a portrait or telephoto lens will give the best results, softening the background and letting your child take centre stage. That said, a good phone photo is absolutely welcome.

Professional photographs are accepted provided the photographer gives their permission and will be credited for their work. A friend with a good eye and a steady hand can work just as beautifully.

For more guidance on photographing children, watch our short video here.

For personalised advice, Shari is happy to help directly. You can reach her by direct message on Instagram or by email at info@shariford.com.

The Winner's Gift

The winner will receive an original impressionist oil painting by Shari Ford, based on their submitted photograph. The painting will be approximately 20" x 24", or a comparable size depending on the composition of the image. It is a truly one of a kind gift and a portrait to treasure for generations.

A Garden Worth Believing In

Frances Hodgson Burnett understood that gardens hold a kind of quiet power over us. "If you look the right way," she wrote, "you can see that the whole world is a garden." and "Where you tend a rose, a thistle cannot grow."

As Shari works to bring her own garden back to life, these words resonate deep within. Beauty, as Burnett always knew, does not disappear. It waits.

We hope this contest invites you and your little ones into that same spirit of wonder and renewal.

And if you would like to journey through the gardens, picnics, and storybook settings of years gone by, we warmly invite you to explore all of our past contests with Shari Ford. Each one holds its own little world.

Shall you wish to commission your own portrait, please visit Shari's website.