The Spanish garden is a verdant courtyard, illuminated by the sun and shaded by orange trees and evergreens. The walled patio is a fundamental living space in palaces and houses throughout Spain, and so the garden is in many ways an extension of the home. The Spanish garden is a respite for the senses. There, the twitter of the nesting bird, the trickling sound of falling water, and the wafting scents of jasmine and lily offer sanctuary and enjoyment at day’s end.

The architecture of the most private Moorish garden is that of the enclosed courtyard. The patio garden is cloistered by high stone walls broken only by a heavy wooden or wrought iron gate. It keeps open to the sky, paved with ceramic tile, and features a fountain as focus of both beauty and practicality. Spanish gardens typically form the center or adjacent part of a building. The palace gardens of Alhambra and the Generalife are classic examples of the Islamic garden. The two palaces contain all the traditional Islamic landscape motifs, but yet hold a characteristic harmony with the natural surrounds.

Offering sustenance, herbs, and water, the Andalusian garden conceptualized according to Islamic principles is a life-sustaining oasis. Fruit bearing trees, aromatic flowers, reflecting pools, and flowing fountains are quintessential elements. Roses, marjoram, carnations, poppies, jasmine, lilies, and narcissi are planted and tended alongside juniper, holly, cypress, and myrtle. Date palms, orange trees, pomegranates, and grapevines are valued for their shade as well as their harvest. In all, the Spanish garden is a little paradise on earth, giving precious shelter from the daily struggles of life.