My heart goes garden, garden
in a garden, where nature meets human art
Gardens are where nature meets human art. It is a place where both enter tentatively, carrying with them, their best aspects, what they can do best, to show off their own talents, to admire each other, and then bestow their combined beauty on us.
Most of us who live in cities, or in towns, are obsessed with the norms and forms of modern life, vast built-up areas, concrete roads and streets, multi- storey and high-rise buildings. And we know that city life can be so different from rural, countryside life, as our urban surroundings, devoid of the natural environment, sometimes can be just a concrete jungle.
Fortunately, urban architecture has left some green patches, for health and aesthetic purposes, and in some areas, there are huge gardens, known as big national parks and natural reserves. And we are lucky to have parks and gardens, these pieces of paradise scattered all around in our busy city life, bringing us the joy of being close to, with, and in nature.
These artistically crafted landscapes, some with water features, hand-picked and selected flora, trees, and plants, and sometimes, native plants, or naturally and wild growing plants taking over vast areas, and some fauna as well, birds, and animals (in enclosed areas), and birds and butterflies, flying around freely, transport us to our primal home, even more, beautiful and comfortable than the garden of Eden! (There are amenities/facilities in these man-made natural reserves).
Well, from the garden of Eden times to the hanging gardens of Babylonia, to the Champac and Asoka gardens, and Lotus pools of Ancient India*, and the famous Japanese gardens, most cities in the world have their own famous landmark gardens, and national parks, and what not.
Where I live, there are countless gardens, and other beautiful places of recreation, such as parks, and national reservoirs, all around our area. We frequent a few of the gardens quite regularly for a day out, to have a picnic, or a barbeque, to celebrate an occasion, a birthday, or a festival, to take children for an experience of being in nature, to look at the birds, and fish, ducks, and ducklings, or just go for a morning walk, or an evening stroll.
Each year, when cherry blossoms and other flowers such as wisteria bloom, most gardens celebrate spring by holding festivals and festivities.
During the recent pandemic, when due to covid-19 there were lockdowns, people discovered these places of solace, and suddenly these parks were full of people walking around at all times, at least during the day (in Sydney, people were not allowed to sit in the parks, especially with people outside their immediate family, or to have anything to eat).
I’m not able to write about the history behind these parks, as they are all fairly new developments, but there is one thing that is historically common in most of these gardens. They are on Aboriginal land, and most of them acknowledge that. For example, Auburn Botanical Garden, which was established in 1977, and is a favorite place for us to visit in all seasons, acknowledges that it is on Dharug Land.
Each season, these gardens take a different colour, and different mood, but they are always beautiful, and welcoming!
Spring brings flowers everywhere, and then in summer, there is lush green foliage, with jacaranda and the red flame flowers peeping through, like purple fire, scattered all around.
With autumn come the falling leaves, burnished red, gold and orange, leaving some of the trees bare, while others are covered with winter foliage, followed by winter, and golden sunny afternoons, perfect for picnics.
And each phase and each place make you exclaim with such joy,
Oh! what a beautiful place!
“a garden meet to vie Even with the home of Gods on high.” *
We just have to take a moment to enter one of these crafted pieces of nature, to feel its heavenly ambiance.
And take time to:
… stand beneath the boughs And stare as long as sheep or cows.
see, when woods we pass, Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
see, in broad daylight, Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
turn at Beauty’s glance, And watch her feet, how they can dance.
and wait till her mouth can Enrich that smile her eyes began.
(The poem is (modified) Leisure by W. H. Davies. The poet actually laments that we do not have time to stand and stare at all this beauty!!
Leisure by William Henry Davies — Your Daily Poem
*Hanging Gardens of Babylon | History & Pictures | Britannica
There Champac and As’oka flowers Hung glorious o’er the summer bowers, And mid the waving verdure rose Gold, silver, ivory porticoes. Through all the months in ceaseless store The trees both fruit and blossom bore. With many a lake the grounds were graced; Seats gold and silver, here were placed; Here every viand wooed the taste, It was a garden meet to vie E’en with the home of Gods on high. (Ramayna, Canto X, ca. 300 BCE)
Dr. Fatima Imam’s post on her favourite garden, in Toronto, with an intergenerational connection, where she enjoys her leisure time, inspired me to write my article today!
A Haven for Tired Souls and Weary Eyes | by Dr. Fatima Imam | Reciprocal | Sep, 2022 | Medium
And I enjoyed Pene Hodge’s article about gratitude and gardening.
And as usual Dr. Preeti Singh with her unique way of joining the mundane with the wonders in her post invited us to write about gardens.
Thanks, Sahil Patel for this great place Reciprocal, where we can share and support each other.