British Asian Gardens

I don’t generally watch Gardeners’ World these days, but two weeks ago they broadcast a special edition (episode 20 in this year’s series) as part of the BBC’s Big British Asian Summer, exploring South Asian influences on British gardens. Monty Don ‘hosted’ the show from the stunning gardens of Europe’s first traditional Hindu temple, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London. The stonework for the temple itself was all carved in India, then brought to London to be assembled. Flowers, particularly the sacred lotus, are represented throughout the decorative motifs. Mountains of flowers are used in the temple’s religious ceremonies, and I was intrigued to learn that – in India – there are businesses based around recycling temple flowers into products such as incense sticks, soaps, and eco-packaging, to reduce their environmental impact. At the London temple, the gardens are a fusion of a European parterre-style design, with Indian motifs, colourful flowers, and a delightful lack of symmetry.

Also in London (at King’s Cross), the new Aga Khan Centre is dedicated to education, knowledge, cultural exchange and insight into Muslim civilisations. It includes 6 stunning Islamic gardens, exploring the breadth of the historic Islamic world, from southern Europe through into the Indian subcontinent. According to Gardeners’ World, the gardens will be open to the public from 22nd September. Looking at the website, you will probably need to book a tour. It looks like there should also be an exhibition on Gardens and Wellbeing from an Islamic perspective (the website isn’t entirely up to date…).

Beautiful as these curated spaces are, I was more interested (of course) in the allotments visited during the show. At the Walsall Road allotments