Shakespeare Garden

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Another walking tour led me to Golden Gate Park. But instead of visiting museums, I detoured and visited Shakespeare Garden. It's real name is Garden of Shakespeare's Flowers; but what's in a name, right?


I was charmed by the iron gate that welcomed visitors into this seldom visited part of the Park. The gate evoked an era long past that people like me can only imagine. The paved path lined with trees, the manicured lawn, and ornaments (like the sundial in the middle of the path and the benches) made me think about Victorian gardens, which were popular in the 1800s... a big statement about man's control over his environment. 


The red flowers were a great contrast to the greens surrounding the area and a great complement to the colour of the bricks on the pavement. I cannot imagine how many man-hours are required to keep this garden clean and neat.


At the rear of the garden stood a bronze bust of the Bard himself. What I didn't realise when I saw it was that I was lucky to have seen it when I visited. Typically, the bust is sealed behind a padlocked green metal doors to prevent it from being vandalised. This bust was in the middle of a wall that also featured plaques with inscriptions from his works.


If I had an afternoon to just lounge around and read a book, this garden will certainly be one of my top choices. The vibe here's all about resting and taking things slow! As the Bard himself said,

 "Go wisely and slowly. Those who rush stumble and fall."



But why is it called Garden of Shakespeare's Flowers?

Apparently, flowers are mentioned in many of his pieces. Roses are mentioned in "Romeo and Juliet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Lilies are found in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Love's Labour's Lost" (which I have yet to read). The garden features as many as 200 of these plants... I can only imagine that it's very beautiful when the flowers are all in bloom.

But for this trip, I contented myself with photographing lilies.


I think I'll visit again in the spring. Hopefully, it won't be too crowded then.

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