Have you heard? Allen Centennial Garden is working on a project to transform part of our space into an Islamic-style garden. Naturally, you might have some questions about how this project, so here are some answers.
What is an Islamic garden?
Just like there is no one kind of Italian garden, there is no one Islamic garden style. 24% of the world’s population is Muslim. That’s 1.9 billion people concentrated in North Africa, Central Asia, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. This means that Islamic gardens have been built in diverse climates and cultures worldwide.
However, landscape historian D. Fairchild Ruggles (who has given us some advice on this project) does offer some guidance on the category of Islamic gardens. Many Islamic gardens are inspired by descriptions of gardens in the Quran (the Muslim holy book) or from Arabic, Persian, or Turkish poetry. For example, one traditional layout, the Chaharbagh (char-bahg), originates from a description of heaven in the Quran. This four-part garden style is found throughout the Islamic world, but it is not the only way an Islamic garden might be shaped. Other styles include a large central pool, a stepped garden, and an orchard garden. Prof. Ruggles emphasizes the importance of the garden as a symbol of a productive landscape that uses water to create abundance.
Another important feature of these Islamic gardens are the plants they include. The are often plants that are found in the Quran, culturally significant, and economically important to the region. This might include pomegranate, sesame, garlic, or even wheat. These plants are important cultural symbols and culinary features.
Interested in learning more? This section was informed by: D. Fairchild Ruggles, “Chapter 1: Prologue: Paradigm Problems: Islamic Gardens in an Expanding Field,” p. 1-10, in Mohammad Gharipour, ed. Gardens of Renaissance Europe and the Islamic Empires. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2017. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/58809.
Why is Allen Centennial Garden working on the project?
Our mission is to create garden experiences that deepen connections among people and plants. This project embraces two important components of that mission. First, it brings new plants into the garden for people to connect with. We believe strongly that there is magic in the moment someone recognizes a plant. What could help you feel more at home than a plant you remember? (You might even call it an old friend?) Not everyone has the same home, and not everyone has the same plant friends, so it is important that we have diverse garden spaces the allow us to share the stories of our diverse community. At our recent Harvest Festival 1 in 12 visitors told us their ancestors had grown food in a Muslim-majority country.
These diverse gardens also allow us to achieve another part of our mission—connections among people. As a teaching garden, we get excited about opportunities for students to learn from the Garden, their teachers, and each other. The Islamic Garden style is an important part of the history of landscape design. Between 700 and 1300, science, design, scholarship, and art were flourishing in the Muslim world. When the Renaissance dawned in Europe, it was directly informed by Islamic ideas. Garden design and growing techniques were no exception, so to understand the history of gardens in the West, we need to understand Islamic gardens.
Where will the Islamic garden fit within Allen Centennial Garden?
We often call Allen Centennial Garden a “garden of gardens.” We plan to make an Islamic-style garden one of these many gardens by transforming two of our existing gardens. This means that this project will really only impact about 3,000 square feet of Allen Centennial Garden. We have selected a site that is already in need of renovation, our current Mediterranean garden (aka Italian garden) and French garden on the west end of the Garden. In addition to making this area more dynamic, the project will also add paths that are accessible year-round.
Is it possible to build an Islamic garden in Wisconsin?
We think so! We already have a number of traditional Islamic garden plants in Allen Centennial Garden. Black cumin, also known as Nigella and Love-in-a-Mist, was featured in the Garden in both 2023 and 2024. Apple trees already mark the corners of our Mediterranean garden, and our olive tree is a regular seasonal resident, returning to the greenhouse each fall. We’ve also had lots of success with our ‘Chicago Hardy’ fig plants over the past few years.
A full Islamic garden will require some adaptations because most Islamic gardens have been built in more tropical environments. This means we will have to learn from the plants we already have as we design our garden. In some cases, we’ll need to substitute in similar plants that grow here, and in other cases, we’ll need to plan to bring some plants into the greenhouse to overwinter. We’re also thinking creatively about how we can introduce design elements like colorful tiles in a way that can withstand cycles of freeze and thaw.
There is already one Islamic-style garden in North America, and it’s located in Alberta, Canada. If they can do it, we can too (on a smaller scale).
Who are you working with?
As we have been developing this project over the past two years, we have been working closely with Wisconsin Green Muslims and their director, Huda Alkaff. Huda has been an essential advocate for this project through her enthusiasm, dedication, and community connections.
Since October, we have also been working with Saiki Design, a local landscape architecture firm, on designs, plans, and cost estimates for the project. They are picking up where students from the UW-Madison Landscape Architecture program left off in working with community members to inform our designs for the garden. We have received funding from the nonprofit Building Equity and Alignment for Environmental Justice to support this work.
When will the new garden be built?
Right now, we’re hoping that we can start building out the garden in 2026, but this is dependent on being able to raise the funds we need for project and the time it will take to get the project approved for construction.
Fortunately, we don’t have to wait that long to see some progress! The Saiki Design team is working hard to have preliminary plans finished in early 2025 so we can share plans for what the garden will look like. In the spring, we’re planning to introduce some plants from the Quran into our plans for our existing Mediterranean garden. We’re also going to be kicking off a citizen science project to map out where Islamic plants are already growing in our community in 2025.
Want to know more or get involved?
Please feel free to send us an email at AllenCentennialGarden@wisc.edu if you’d like to learn more about how to get involved or support the project.