Thank you! A little of both, actually. I began writing the story not knowing how it would turn out. When I got to the part about the gate, I knew the exact picture I wanted to use - it's a card from the Londa Tarot deck. The description of the gate borrowed a little from that image, but mostly it was already written. I also knew how I wanted the garden feel... Some secret gardens are well-manicured orchards, and others are English Gardens, complete with sculpted hedges. I wanted one that was entirely overgrown and wild, yet ... tended and loved. I searched Google images for "Secret Garden" and found these images. The descriptions of the spring, pond, and stream were drawn directly from the second picture.

Now that you mention it, I really should redo the search and attribute these photos, since this is an open post...