I woke up this morning and as I glanced out of my kitchen window this wonderful surprise was blooming! It immediately brought a smile to my face, and filled me with joy. What a pleasant welcoming of a brand new Day!
I immediately start to wonder why this one little Dutch Iris brings me so much happiness! I have worked as a landscape designer every day for over twenty plus years and I am still thrilled to see a garden taking shape. Gardens represent paradise to me.
Humans have had a relationship with gardens since the beginning of time. It all began with the Garden of Eden, an age-old fundamental longing that compared paradise to a garden, a place where humans lived in perfect peace and ultimate bliss. This was the first “model” garden. It exemplified an ideal space where humans could attain true happiness.
The English word paradise was derived from an ancient Persian word “pairi –
daeza”, which simply meant, “walled”. I believe the image of a walled garden, has always been an “ideal” that humans longed for. Perhaps a walled paradise, protected from human frailty and imperfection. Alternatively, an escape our ancestors conjured up for us– a Utopian ideal for a better happier life!
Perhaps the garden represents an attempt to recover a lost paradise on earth or to anticipate the promised kingdom of heaven. To achieve this goal we need to give order to nature in an artful way.
“Here it is neither uneven and stony like farmland, nor rough and dangerous like a wilderness. Gardens unite artificial and natural beauty, embracing all the elements-water, light, air, plants and making them elements of art. Every effort devoted to garden design becomes a mirror of the longing for happiness in harmony with nature.” (Carl Friedrick Schroer).
Regardless of how large or small your garden is, think about what brings you serenity and joy and incorporate these elements in your garden design. I would love to see what your ideal garden looks like, please share photos and comments.
Ciao Mardel
