Lessons learned from walks to paradise gardens

The decision to visit a garden is an important one. It’s a commitment that starts deep in the soul, I believe, and it’s a decision that is then manifested by the eventual physical walk to the garden.

The process of getting to the garden is always very important. I am always conscious of the energy and effort and resolve needed to actually reach the garden.

I look around me and admire others who have made the decision to take the time and effort to visit a garden for the sole purpose of seeing the beauty there and being lifted up by the encounter.

In my life, I have walked to many gardens, some of them world famous. Some have not been easy to reach. Tresco Abbey Garden, for instance, in the Scilly Isles involved first getting to Land’s End in Cornwall and then taking a boat to the Scilly Isles and then another boat to Tresco. That is a lot of effort to see a garden.

To see Sir Roy Strong’s garden, The Laskett, involved going all the way from London to a deep, rural corner of Herefordshire. It took a long time to get there but the rewards were excellent

I remember many other such efforts.

In Brazil, for instance, it  took considerable time and energy to reach Inhotim, the magnificent garden outside Belo Horizonte.  

On the way, we had to bounce over about 100 speed bumps called “sleeping policemen” which meant slowing down to virtually a stop, then speeding up again. It was exhausting in itself but, again, the rewards were out of this world. 

In Morocco, we travelled all the way to Marrakesh to see the Yves St. Laurent’s Majorelle Garden. 

Yes, we were going to some of these places anyway, but there was nevertheless always the decision to make the effort, to take the side road, to extend the journey, to do this rather than that, in order to reach the garden.

And then there was always the walk to the garden itself. Sometimes, this involved a stroll down a long and winding lane, such as the walk to Villa Gamberaia in Settignano outside Florence, or up a hill to reach the Silver Pavillon in Kyoto or the train and bus ride when we first went to see the fabulous water garden of Villa d’Este in Tivoli outside Rome.

Often, the walk to these “paradise gardens” was taken with others. On the way, we talked and laughed as we shared stories. 

This has been my common experience of any walk to a garden. It involved thinking about the reason for going and the expectations and lessons that might be learned on the way there and during the visit.

I have many pleasant memories of those times walking to a garden and the fascinating conversations on the way.

swhysall@hotmail.com

MORE GARDENS THAT ARE A DELIGHT TO VISIT

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•