Analysis - City Serenity in Gardens of Remembrance
By Eloise Seddon, Horticulture Weekly
August 2002 [excerpt]
The Tibetan Peace Garden on the other hand, managed to combine both modern Western design and a feel for traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture.
Commissioned by the Tibet Foundation and unveiled by the Dalai Lama two years ago in the grounds of the Imperial War Museum, the circular garden symbolises the need to create understanding and harmony between Eastern and Western cultures.
Featuring a central bronze mandala surrounded by eight meditation seats representing the noble eightfold path of Buddhism (right view, thought, speech, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration), and four Portland stone sculptures representing earth, fire, air and water, the garden is packed with significance. Even the plants that create a subdued blue and white scheme when in flower, are all originally from the Himalayas.
“It is contemporary and cutting edge, but also very popular. It also reflects very much what it is commemorating, which is peace and harmony. And along with the high quality of products and design that have gone into it has made the garden very successful.” said Landscape Institute director of communications, Eleanor Silk.
The garden’s London-based landscape designer and sculptor, Hamish Horsley, puts its success more to the harmonious mix of hard and soft landscaping. “It’s all to do with balancing sculpture with landscaping. This meant quite a subdued plant colour scheming to blend in with the Kilkenny and Yorkshire stones we used.
“I would have liked to have included water, which helps to create a tranquil atmosphere , but this was too problematic in terms of long-term maintenance.”
But alternatives to traditional sculptures on a plinth , like the Tibetan Peace Garden, the September 11 garden (London) and the Princess Diana water feature, are set to become the norm for commemorating the dead in the future. “Gardens are popular because they are interactive.”