A garden is a plot of land around or near a dwelling that is planted, cared for and cultivated, as distinct from the wild forest. Since moving from a nomadic to a settled mode of life, people have been gardening, not only for food production but also for the pleasure and enjoyment of being with plants and trees.

    Evidence exists of people gardening for at least five or six thousand years, although most likely much longer. In Mesopotamia, “the land between the rivers”, in what is modern day Iraq and Syria, there were temple gardens, royal gardens, courtyard and walled city gardens containing vegetables, medicinal, and herbal flowers and a wide variety of plants. Ancient Persian gardens were developed to protect from the harsh, arid landscape of the Iranian plateau, and water was brought up from subterranean aquifers to create places for poetry, contemplation and seclusion, as well as food. Gardens were much cherished by the Ancient Egyptians and on the Indian subcontinent there are records of gardens in the ancient Hindu texts. Buddha is known to have stayed in the town of Vaishali, famed for its beautiful gardens, Emperor Ashoka created fabulous gardens as did the Mughal emperors. On every continent people have gardened in the environment in which they live, not only for sustenance but also from a deep need to connect and commune with Nature.

    A theme that runs through the history of gardening is that the enclosed or walled garden inherently lends itself as a place where people can feel safe to be in nature in a protected place. Although gardens have often been to impress and show off wealth and status, it is around monasteries, temples and places of worship where gardens have persistently been nurtured and cherished, seen as sacred places for meditation and contemplation. In the Middle Ages in Europe, the concept of the garden was thought to unite the earthly and the Divine, gardening was seen as an act of humility, and it is described in early Islamic texts as an allegory for paradise, to reflect the inner garden, the inner experience of the Divine. In ancient Britain and Ireland, oak groves were planted near henges and dolmens to provide a naturally sacred space that could grow into lofty, vaulted canopies of leaves and branches.

   Given the natural affinity for people to garden, it is inevitable that the term Peace Garden would eventually be coined to describe a place to go and sit or walk, and consciously reflect on peace within and around oneself. Globally there are 159 registered Peace Gardens, although in reality there are many more, given the nature of the garden is to be a place to enjoy tending and caring for plants, and to appreciate their colour and beauty. The first formally named Peace Garden was opened in 1932, straddling the border between Manitoba and North Dakota, and was conceived and dedicated as a memorial of peace and friendship between Canada and the USA. It covers an area of over 2000 acres, an impressive size for a garden, yet a Peace Garden can equally be a small corner, a shelter in one's own garden, a favourite chair or bench, somewhere to sit and rest. The Oldham Peace Garden, in Oldham, Greater Manchester, provides a verdant recess, an arbour dedicated to peace, inviting passers-by to sit, relax and just be for a while, intended as a space to breathe and re-set. Weymouth Peace Garden in Dorset is a garden on the site of an old burial ground once owned by the Religious Society of Friends. A group of dedicated volunteers have created a garden intended for contemplation and meditation that is enjoyed by local residents and visitors alike. Historically Quakers have worked for peace, justice and equality, making the garden a perfect place to honour their commitment to peace.

    There is no agreed style for a Peace Garden, simplicity is the key feature, minimal in concept and design. It is about the feel of place, the feel of peace, an indefinable quality which is something to be experienced and enjoyed personally. In the Zen Buddhist gardens around the monasteries and temples of Japan, this practise is expressed and elevated to a high art form.

    In London, the Tibetan Buddhist Peace Garden, opened by his Holiness the Dalai Llama in May 1999 was intentionally situated next to the Imperial War Museum in Southwark.

    Public gardens and communal green spaces are very important for people to share and enjoy, especially in the urban environment. Any unused or abandoned corner can be turned into a place of colour and joy and there are countless examples of people brightening the area around their street, along terraces or alleyways. Once planted and cared for, elevating spirits and giving joy to both gardeners and passers-by.

    Modern science now shows the sights, smells and sounds of Nature lift the mood and measurably boost feel good hormones, which is essential for mental and emotional well-being, something that has long been known from subjective experience.