Jacques Majorelle and his Blue Garden

Blue features are the most mysterious elements in a landscape.


Nowhere is this more true than in the magnificent ‘Majorelle Garden’ located in the heart of Marrakesh, Morocco. Originally created in the 1920’s by the French artist and gardener, Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962), this remarkable 12 acre haven has revolutionized the way we think of color in the garden. 
Majorelle was an avid plant collector and filled his botanical park, now open to the public, with exotic plant species from all over the world.  But the overriding feature in this hot and dry environment is Majorelle’s favorite color: a rich shade of cobalt blue. It embellishes buildings, pergolas, fountains and more.

Photo from Talking Dog UK

This alluring color comes out of the traditional Moroccan aesthetic but Majorelle used 'his blue' with great abandon.  It serves as a spectacular backdrop for multi-colored bougainvillea, bright orange nasturtiums and planters filled with pinks, yellows and apple greens that are scattered about the grounds. In fact, he used it so extensively in the gardens that it now has a trademark name called, fittingly, ‘Majorelle Blue’.



Jacques Majorelle's garden was saved by Pierre Berge and Yves Saint Laurent, the great French fashion designer. Today the Majorelle workshop houses their magnificent Islamic art colleciton.  Put this on your gardens to visit list as it is a place of great serenity, luxurious vegetation and powerful inspiration...and a lot of cobalt blue.



Comments

  1. Bangchik and KakdahJanuary 23, 2012 at 9:22 AM

    seldom see blue paintwork in gardens. Definitely that is awesome, breathtaking and visitors would feel it's uniqueness.... brilliant blue!

    ReplyDelete
  2. RohrerbotJanuary 23, 2012 at 12:07 PM

    I love blue mixed in with the landscape. Absolutely nice mix of color and design here. I don't think you can go wrong with this color scheme:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jan JohnsenJanuary 23, 2012 at 1:38 PM

    Isn't it great? Cobalt Blue extravaganza....

    ReplyDelete
  4. lam5991January 23, 2012 at 1:56 PM

    I learn something new every time I read your blog posts! I am fascinated by the study of color, and I am happy to discover the story of 'Majorelle Blue'

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jan JohnsenJanuary 24, 2012 at 10:01 PM

    Thank you... I love to share!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jan JohnsenJanuary 24, 2012 at 10:01 PM

    Thank you... I love to share!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ms. MorganFebruary 1, 2012 at 6:46 PM

    Wow. i just love these hints of blue through the garden. So beautiful!

    http://cautionrealitychecks.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. MarxFebruary 3, 2012 at 1:15 AM

    Great post! That was interesting.I like your quality that you put into your post.Please do continue with more like this.

    - Marx of web design

    ReplyDelete
  9. buy rift accountMarch 28, 2012 at 3:39 AM

    Great! Love your blog.=D

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnwitJune 7, 2012 at 11:35 AM

    Hey, I'm now a fan. I found your blog looking for pictures of Majorelle's garden, used one, credited it, and linked it to your site.

    "The nicest online photos of the garden are at Jan Johnsen’s blog, Serenity in the Garden."

    http://lazyorganicrosegardener.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/structure-3-et-cetera-et-jacques-majorelle/

    I hope that's OK.

    Karah Stokes

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jan JohnsenJune 10, 2012 at 9:53 PM

    Karah! Thank you so much for those kind words...that is all I need to write a new post for fellow garden aficionados...

    ReplyDelete

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