Islamic gardens, such as the Alhambra in Spain, Bagh-e-Babur in Kabul and the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore, have been lauded since they were designed centuries ago.
However, few people, after admiring their meticulously laid out pathways, along which glorious trees and fragrant flowers grow, realize the importance of water in enabling them to flourish.
Unlike today, our ancestors husbanded water wisely and nowhere were this more apparent than in the magnificent gardens they created.
Before planting a single seed, complex irrigation channels, water storage ponds fountains and reservoirs were laid out; water sources were often located huge distances away from the gardens and this necessitated the excavation of underground water channels (qanats).
As a result, water was ways in which this was done-and this can be applied to your garden-is that of sunken garden beds.
These keep the roots of the plant cool and moist for longer periods of time compared to ground-level or raised beds, and conserve tremendous amounts of water in the process.
Creating a sunken garden bed will simple. Mark out the area where the bed will be located-keep in mind that smaller beds are easier to remove the top four inches of soil and place aside. Dig out an additional six to eight inches of soil and use it to construct ‘walls’ around the excavated area.
Mix the reserved top soil with an equal amount of organic compost or well-rotted, organic manure and return this mixture to the newly created sunken garden area, carefully leveling it off when finished. The sunken bed should now be about six inches below the previous surface, surrounded by compact soil walls.
Plant the flowers, vegetables, herbs or fruit tree of your choice in these beds; you will soon realize that they will require a lot less water to flourish.
By B. Khan