Paradise on earth

Paradise on earth

27 March 2023
Article
From the exhibition

Being outdoors is good for the body and the mind. The combination of manual activity and creativity makes gardening a popular form of mindfulness for many people. It is not surprising that gardens play a prominent role in many religious traditions. God, for instance, is said to have created a paradise for humankind, often depicted in the form of a garden. But gardens are rarely an earthly paradise in themselves. Overgrown borders and withered trees require attention. We dig, plant, rake and water the garden, and then leave it to grow. The watering can has become a typical and familiar design in this regard. Medieval ones were earthenware pots with holes in the bottom. Nowadays, though, most watering cans are variations on John Haws’ standard 1886 model: a large jug with a spout ending in a rose – the end-piece with holes – and a handle on the side. They come in all different sizes for all sorts of purposes: from watering orchids, cacti or roses, through to the humble everyday watering can found in gardens everywhere.