# Ben Weatherstaff β€” The Secret Garden character guide > Ben Weatherstaff in The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** old Ben Weatherstaff, old Ben, Weatherstaff **First appearance:** 0006-vii-the-key-of-the-garden ## Snapshot A gruff old gardener with rheumatism and a dry tongue, who loved the late mistress's roses and has been secretly tending her walled garden for years. ## Who they are Ben Weatherstaff keeps the grounds at Misselthwaite and keeps his own counsel, answering questions with grunts until a robin or a rose softens him. He was fond of Colin's mother, and when she asked him to care for her roses if she ever went away, he obeyed her order over the master's, climbing the wall once a year until his rheumatics stopped him. His stubborn loyalty and his grudging respect for Mary make him the garden's oldest witness and its most reluctant ally. ## Relationships ### [Mary Lennox](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/characters/mary_lennox) _friendship_ Ben is a gruff but kind gardener who initially clashes with Mary but later becomes her ally in the garden. ### [Colin Craven](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/characters/colin_craven) _friendship_ Ben Weatherstaff, the old gardener, develops a protective fondness for Colin and helps him discover his strength. ### [Dickon Sowerby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/characters/dickon_sowerby) _friendship_ Ben respects Dickon's way with animals and plants, treating him as a fellow nature enthusiast. ### [Mary Lennox](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/characters/mary_lennox) _friendship_ Ben is a gruff but kind gardener who initially clashes with Mary but later becomes her ally in the garden. ### [Colin Craven](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/characters/colin_craven) _friendship_ Ben Weatherstaff, the old gardener, develops a protective fondness for Colin and helps him discover his strength. ### [Dickon Sowerby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/characters/dickon_sowerby) _friendship_ Ben respects Dickon's way with animals and plants, treating him as a fellow nature enthusiast. ### [Mary Lennox](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/characters/mary_lennox) _friendship_ Ben is a gruff but kind gardener who initially clashes with Mary but later becomes her ally in the garden. ### [Colin Craven](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/characters/colin_craven) _friendship_ Ben Weatherstaff, the old gardener, develops a protective fondness for Colin and helps him discover his strength. ### [Dickon Sowerby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/characters/dickon_sowerby) _friendship_ Ben respects Dickon's way with animals and plants, treating him as a fellow nature enthusiast. ## In the story ### [Martha](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/chapters/iv-martha) Ben is the grumpy head gardener who bluntly tells Mary they are alike in temperament. He introduces her to the robin and mentions the secret garden. ### [The Cry in the Corridor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/chapters/v-the-cry-in-the-corridor) Mentioned as surly and avoiding Mary; his robin leads Mary to the garden wall. ### [VII: The Key of the Garden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/chapters/vii-the-key-of-the-garden) Ben speaks to Mary about the coming spring, the stirring earth, and the robin's knowledge of the secret garden, which has been locked for ten years. ### [IX: The Strangest House Anyone Ever Lived In](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/chapters/ix-the-strangest-house-anyone-ever-lived-in) Referenced by Mary as someone who could tell if the garden's wood is alive, and as a potential source of seeds. ### [The Nest of the Missel Thrush](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/chapters/xi-the-nest-of-the-missel-thrush) Mentioned as one of the five people Mary likes. ### [I Am Colin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/chapters/xiii-i-am-colin) Ben is referenced in Mary's story to Colin about the robin and the garden. ### [Ben Weatherstaff](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/chapters/xxi-ben-weatherstaff) Discovers the children in the garden from his ladder, expresses anger and threatens Mary. ### [When the Sun Went Down](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/chapters/xxii-when-the-sun-went-down) Reveals his secret care of the garden over the years and expresses gruff admiration for Colin's progress. ### [Magic](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/chapters/xxiii-magic) Grumbles about rheumatics and chanting, but secretly pleased by Colin's strength; follows the procession and keeps a sharp lookout. ### [The Curtain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/chapters/xxv-the-curtain) Mentioned indirectly through the robin's perspective, but not directly present in this chapter. ### [XXVI: β€œIt’s Mother!”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/chapters/xxvi-it-s-mother) Ben observes Colin's improved legs and shoulders, commenting on his growth. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/characters/ben_weatherstaff - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_garden_se/characters