Dickon Sowerby in The Secret Garden

Who is Dickon Sowerby?

Dickon Sowerby is Martha’s younger brother, a confident, kind-hearted moor lad who knows animals and plants intimately. He arrives at Misselthwaite after Martha’s letter and immediately befriends Mary, accepting her secret and showing her how to read signs of life in seemingly dead plants. Dickon brings seeds, tools, and a calm, practical energy to the secret garden; he works beside Mary clearing beds, identifying green shoots, and coaxing timid wildlife to trust them. He supplies animals—a lamb, a fox cub, a crow, tame squirrels—and uses their presence to soothe and delight Colin when the boy first sees the moor in Chapter 19. Dickon helps plan and execute Colin’s secret visits, pushes his wheeled chair, encourages him to stand and plant a rose, and leads exercises and simple outdoor meals that strengthen the children. Throughout, Dickon acts as a steady, fostering presence whose grounded skill with the earth and creatures makes the garden a real, restorative place for Mary and Colin.

In the book: When we first meet him, he’s Martha’s younger brother—the moor-roving kid everyone says can charm birds from trees and coax shy creatures to his hand. He matters because he’s the first friendly soul to treat Mary kindly and shows her how to work with the earth, making the garden (and her days) start to feel alive.

Personality

Nature-wise

In Chapter 10 he arrives with a pocketful of seeds and immediately recognizes living shoots and how to tend them.

Gentle

In Chapter 15 he sits perfectly still with Mary to watch the robin build its nest so the bird will not be frightened.

Practical

In Chapter 24 he devises ways to provide hot food outdoors—roasted eggs and potatoes—so the children can eat without attracting attention.

Trustworthy

In Chapter 10 he promises Mary he will keep the secret of the walled garden and returns to help revive it.

Encouraging

In Chapter 21 he encourages Colin to try standing and later helps him plant a rose, supporting his recovery.

Character arc

Dickon enters the story already comfortable with the moor and its creatures; from his first appearance he functions as a bridge between the wild life of the moor and the closed world of Misselthwaite. Early on (Chapter 10–11) he teaches Mary how to recognize living growth and how to use tools, transforming her curiosity into capable work. As the garden revives, Dickon becomes the practical engine of care—bringing seeds and animals, showing how to feed and shelter birds, and helping prepare secret meals (Chapters 15, 24). When Colin appears as a frightened, overprotected invalid, Dickon meets him not with pity but with steady, no-nonsense warmth: he places animals on Colin’s lap (Chapter 19), pushes his chair into the garden (Chapter 20), and physically and emotionally supports Colin’s first standing and planting (Chapters 21–22). Dickon’s consistency never requires a dramatic inner change; instead his influence catalyzes Mary’s growth and Colin’s recovery. By the end he remains the same kindly, skilled moor-boy, but his role has expanded from local mysterious figure to essential companion and healer whose simple gifts make real and lasting change possible.

Relationships

• Martha Sowerby His older sister who describes him fondly and whose letter brings him to Mary and the garden.
• Mary Lennox A friend and pupil in garden work whom he teaches to tend plants, animals, and the secret place.
• Colin Craven A patient and encourager to the sickly boy, providing animals, practical help, and moral support during Colin’s recovery.
• Ben Weatherstaff An uneasy yet cooperative ally who respects Dickon’s skill and helps keep the garden’s work secret.
• Mrs. Sowerby His mother, who listens to his stories and later embraces the children’s progress with warm approval.
• Archibald Craven The master whose return and softened heart are influenced indirectly by the changes Dickon helps bring about in Colin.

Quotes by Dickon Sowerby

“I’m Dickon," the boy said. "I know tha’rt Miss Mary.”

Chapter 10Dickon introduces himself calmly and shows immediate, almost intuitive recognition of Mary and her situation.

““It’s as wick as you or me,””

Chapter 11Dickon explains the local word 'wick' to Mary when he shows her a living shoot hidden among apparently dead branches, emphasizing signs of life.

““I’ll come every day if tha’ wants me, rain or shine,””

Chapter 11Dickon promises to return and help Mary tend the garden, marking the start of their ongoing partnership and Mary’s altered social world.

““If tha’ was a missel thrush an’ showed me where thy nest was, does tha’ think I’d tell anyone? Not me,””

Chapter 11Dickon reassures Mary that the secret of the garden is safe with him, using the missel thrush as a symbol of trust and secrecy.

““We munnot stir,” he whispered in broad Yorkshire.”

Chapter 15Dickon instructs Mary to be perfectly still so they do not frighten the robin who is building its nest.

““When th’ sun did jump up, th’ moor went mad for joy, an’ I was in the midst of th’ heather, an’ I run like mad myself, shoutin’ an’ singin’.””

Chapter 15Dickon describes his exuberant morning run across the moor and explains why he came to the garden so early.

Why Dickon Sowerby matters

Dickon embodies the book’s faith in nature, practical labor, and unassuming kindness as forces for healing. His knowledge of plants and animals shows that recovery springs from attentive work and steady companionship rather than spectacle or authority. By teaching Mary and aiding Colin, Dickon translates the novel’s theme that connection to the living earth and simple, compassionate acts can revive both body and spirit. He is the humane, natural counterpoint to the house’s gloom and a living proof that small, consistent care restores joy and community.

Chapters with Dickon Sowerby

• Chapter 4
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 14
• Chapter 15
• Chapter 16
• Chapter 17
• Chapter 18
• Chapter 19
• Chapter 20
• Chapter 21
• Chapter 22
• Chapter 23
• Chapter 24
• Chapter 25
• Chapter 26
• Chapter 27

More The Secret Garden characters

• Mary LennoxProtagonist
• Mrs. MedlockMajor character
• Martha SowerbyMajor character
• The RobinMinor character
• Ben WeatherstaffMajor character
• Colin CravenMajor character
• Archibald CravenMajor character
• Lilias CravenMinor character