Lavender is for lovers true…
Lavender is for lovers true,
Which evermore be faine;
Desiring always for to have Some pleasure for their paine:
And when that they obtained have The love that they require,
Then have they all their perfect joie,
And quenched is the fire. (C Robinson)
My recent posts have been about flowers, I know, what can I do…it’s left over from spring and showing off summer. My recent visit to the Arakogawa Park and Garden Plaza was during their Lavender Festival. Lavender is one of my most favourite flowers not only for its perfume but for its many uses – especially settling me during sleepless nights. Its name comes from the Latin word, Lavare, to wash. And indeed smelling lavender makes you think of soaps or fresheners, that is why I do not like them so much on food.
Arakogawa Park and Garden Plaza is a short subway ride on the Aonami line from Nagoya station. The park is not very big and quite easy to walk around. It features a sunken garden where the gardeners were busy replanting the seasonal flower beds. There is a small Japanese garden, an adventure playground for the kids, plant and garden exhibition areas as well as gardening consultations and classes available for the enthusiast out there. The lavender garden is a permanent feature garden and available all year round, except there won’t be as many flowers when it’s not in season.
I have always dreamt of running through fields of lavender, like those ones you see in featured photos. However, this experience had a small field and I only had to stroll through it to cover the whole ‘field.’ All I could take away from my experience that day was the unforgettable perfume, unlike those that have been dried or processed…it was heavenly! I hope you enjoy some of the photos I took that day.
Japanese Garden
The exhibition centre featured everything to do with lavender including art work, crafts and the process of making a lavender oil. They sold seedlings of some common varieties as well as lavender ice cream! Yes, lavender ice cream…but, I already said my piece about lavender in food. All around the park there were snippets of my other favourite – Hydrangea. So you can guess what’s blooming next round this garden theme…
Our Weird and Wonderful World 