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Scented Herb Gardens
Appears in
Published 1991
A scented herb garden is the ultimate pleasure garden, planted and maintained for the delectation of the senses, yet, a garden of ‘use and delight’ according to
The loveliest scented herb gardens are sheltered spaces, usually enclosed so that the perfumes from the aromatic leaves and fragrant flowers are trapped in the warm, still air. For most people a scented garden is an enchanted place, a blissful sanctuary.
As far as we know, the earliest scented gardens were built in the courtyards of Persian houses over 2,000 years ago. These gardens were generally square or rectangular, and often they were divided into four by streams flowing from a central fountain. The name for these enclosed gardens was pairidaeza, the origin of our word ‘paradise’. The Persians, who were superb gardeners, required three main qualities of their paradises: running water, shade and scent.