Gardens and Fragrances of the World

As Gilles Clément so aptly put it, the first garden was an enclosure, intended to protect the precious commodity of fruit, vegetables and later flowers. And each garden refers to the first garden paradise - Eden.

For centuries, the garden has reflected the civilisation that created and sheltered it - French, British or tropical. The garden of yesteryear, a protective enclosure, is now evolving in the face of the evidence that its land is in danger. The garden is no longer enclosed: it is on a planetary scale.

In our imagination, the garden is the place where we can rebuild, protect and feel good. It is the place where we can grow in peace, where we can make mistakes without them being fatal, where we can learn who we are and how to relate to others. It is also, very definitely, a garden that we know and that has marked us for one reason or another, during our childhood or our adult life.

That's why we all have a garden, secret or not, that makes us feel good when we talk about it.