The BBC presenter, Monty Don, presented two programmes last week in which he explored different world gardens inspired by the Qur'an. It inspires me to visit gardens in Morocco, Spain and, who knows, Iran. The use of water was particularly enticing. Taking a secular view of "paradise gardens" I considered where mine might be and alighted, first in a short series, on our visit in late spring to that old favourite of ours, the RHS gardens of Harlow Carr. The photographs feature the small pool and the long and exquisitely planted Streamside, perhaps the nearest thing to perfection one could ever imagine in a garden.
The Harlow Car hybrid primulas (they spell it like that!) are a showy hybridisation of Primula bulleyana, P. beesiana, P. japonica and P. pulverulenta that occurred naturally in the boggy soil some years ago.
The wisteria, hostas, Matteuccia and maple catch the eye plus the perfect blue of assorted Meconopsis. The gardens hosted the national trials of the latter some years ago and one is in in poppy heaven either side of the stream. There are colours here other than blues.
I love the colors of those primroses. You don't see those in my part of the world (but then there are few bogs to be found either).
ReplyDeleteDelightful. You have your own alternatives however. I've envied the plants on your blog. Drooled, at times.
ReplyDeleteI wish it were easier to save blog posts - I'd love to look at this one many times...
ReplyDeleteWater in the garden - something I've mulled over many a time, for the same reasons as the ancient Persians, Egyptians, et al. It's such a precious substance itself in the desert, something to be celebrated. I think I should at least have a small fountain, or some such thing - the birds would be delighted at least!
You would have enjoyed Monty Don's two programmes, Amy. Lots of water gardens in hot countries. I'm not sure how easy or indeed economical it would be for you to construct a water garden. Water here is so plentiful that, were I to don a warm coat, I could hold out a cup and it would be filled in minutes. (lousy weather at the moment.) And then I consider the bright reds of your garden and those beautiful little birds and I consider perhaps there are different forms of paradise.
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