Garden Decor

Garden is a place which extends solace and long-desired rest to the tired body and mind after a dry, listless and long day's work and a place where one is transferred to Mother Nature in her fullest alluring embrace. Garden is a place where trees and plants bloom with flowers of many hues and colours and spreading out intoxicating fragrance and laden heavy with ripe fruits inviting children, old men and women alike. Garden is also a place of meeting and playing together for children, Beautiful garden, besides, of-course pubs and restaurants is a meeting joint for like-minded two young hearts in love. Many time Garden becomes a host to the old (beautiful and lingering memories of past for 'grandpa' and 'grandma'. Thus if décor to a garden matches its beauty, whole garden becomes a cynosure of all eyes. In short a well decorated and well stocked garden becomes a mini 'Religio loci'(Lat.) i.e. a place where one gets a spiritual feel.

To begin with the different pieces of décor in the gardens, first thing coming to one's mind is terracotta statues of either semi-gods, animals or lamp shades. When in a garden one may come across terracotta elephant, horse, deer or any other animal. One can also come across Dry Wood sculpture of tree with different themes. Sometimes it may look like a torso of female or may head of elephant, or different branches entwined together to form copulation of snakes and sometimes allowing flowering weeds to grow at some places thus making it beautiful to viewers. During British Era cast metal was extensively used in making cast iron and bronze statues, lamp posts with glass enclosure to protect lamp flame from winds. Many public gardens and personal gardens in the bungalows during this era, owned by senior British officials, Army and police officers, were being decorated with these lamp posts. Even using different coloured and textured pebbles, gravel for creating contrasts and match was and is in use even today.

Description of decors to gardens would be incomplete without the mention of water. Water was used for water-falls, to make artificial lakes, ponds and streams. They are again missing in complete joy if they do not have duck, swans, different species of fish and tortoise etc. They again miss something if they do not contain water Lilly and lotus in full bloom. The Gardens around wonderful TAJ MAHAL gives such a panoramic view when seen from the main hall where are housed sacred relics of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, that too if seen during full moon night! Wide passages, geometrically patterned and intricately designed with different coloured round pebbles, white marble sitting platforms with precisely and evenly erected minarettes is breadth taking indeed. We feel we are transferred to heaven. It is very hard to believe that these could be made by mortal humans! Bamboo grass is also extensively used to enhance the beauty of corners. A cluster of pines are very beautiful for viewing. Creepers with large leaves on huge trees gives feel of age. One gets to feel that they are watching ancient trees. Miniature fruit trees are good decorative companion in a garden. Different decorative plants and hedges cropped in different shapes gives a feeling of perfection. In short, all these individual items added up together makes a WHOLE a whole which is irresistible to body and mind to be blessed with health and peace indeed.