As Gilles Clément says, the first garden was an enclosure, designed to protect the precious fruits, vegetables and, later, flowers. And every garden refers back to the first garden, that of Eden, paradise.

For centuries, gardens have reflected the civilisation that created and nurtured them – French, English, tropical. It is clear that the gardens of yesteryear, protective enclosures, are now evolving in the face of this obvious fact: their soil is in danger. Gardens are no longer enclosed: they are on a global scale. They used to protect us, but now we must defend and cherish them.
The fact remains that in our imagination, the garden is a place of reconstruction, protection and well-being. It is a 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 build relationships with others.

It is also, very concretely, a garden that we know and that has left a mark on us for one reason or another, during our childhood or adult life. Or perhaps it is a garden that we have just discovered and that fills us with joy.