Symmetry in Gardens and Bodies

Symmetry in Gardens and Bodies

 Rome, Italy

Symmetry can be seen almost everywhere. Without noticing it with our minds, our eyes see so much symmetry during one day. For the most part our bodies are symmetrical, faces alone are, for the most part, symmetrical, hair can be symmetrical, along with the muscles in our body. The human body is so fascinating to me, it’s something I love to know about, how it works, functions, fights off illnesses, builds muscle. So once we started our lecture on symmetrical gardens, my mind went to thinking about in which ways this lecture could teach me more, even further than just gardens, and it did, it taught me to see the symmetry and even the asymmetrical things and gardens in life.

 While in Rome, we all got the privilege of seeing the Papal Gardens, where the Pope formally resided in the summer on occasion, and man, what a garden to experience. It was a gorgeous day and the flowers seemed to be alive. The well-manicured hedges placed in a very particular place was a sure sign of a symmetrical garden. As we were walking amongst the most beautiful hydrangea’s and cork trees, we came to this one section of the garden that was, without a doubt, a symmetrical garden. We got to look at it from above on a balcony and see just how it flowed. It consisted of a long pathway of gravel with one half of the garden being a mirror image of the other side. It was spectacular to see. A sense of balance is so evident and present. Rhythm and balance stand out. Being enthralled by how the body works, I found this correlation fascinating. The human body moves in balance and with a rhythm, our heartbeat is constant rhythm, our eyes blink and are in balance, it all just made me realize our connected the human body is to our earth and especially to gardens. Being in the Papal Gardens that day was really a wonderful experience all around.

-HMS