Earthly Utopias

This rich, beautiful book takes readers from the mountains of Kashmir to a repurposed castle in the west of Ireland, as it tours the most magnificent sacred gardens in the world. Elements from religious gardens—such as labyrinths and grottos to monastic herb gardens and geometrical patterns—have long been familiar in garden design, as has the tradition of seeking spiritual enlightenment through nature.

But this book takes the reader straight to the source, showcasing the best gardens designed and informed directly by religious and spiritual teachings. These include functional gardens created by monks for sanctuary, medicine and food; the sacred bathing pools of Tirta Gangga in Bali; and the kare-sansui garden at Ryōan-ji, informed by Zen Buddhism.

Many are ancient sites full of myth, others have been lovingly restored from ruin, and some have been newly created in recent years in a bid to get closer to the Divine, through traditional religion or the worship of nature itself. Earthly Utopias visits cathedrals, monasteries and ruined abbeys; temples, mausoleums and shrines; forests, islands and deserts in search of these sacred gardens. Each one serves as a prime example of how religion, philosophy and spirituality can inform and inspire beautiful garden design.