Morocco, Jardin Majorelle Uses Cactus and Bamboo
Marrakech Majorelle Garden Design Suits Global Water Shortage Issue
Oct 7, 2009
When artist Jacques Majorelle arrived in Morocco in 1919 from his native war-torn France, he was not a well man. At 36 he was hoping that the warm winters, dry summers and clear desert air would help his heart trouble and tuberculosis. He could hardly have foreseen how the iconic Jardin Majorelle he created in Marrakech in 1924 would prove so relevant to today’s potential problems of increasing drought and global warming.
At the heart of his revolutionary garden design in the Nouvelle Ville area of Marrakech was the use of indigenous drought-resistant trees and other plants of Morocco, especially palms, cacti and succulents for their structural qualities, rather than relying on flowers. Majorelle also incorporated garden water features that were a fusion of the celebrated French Impressionist Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny, and traditional Islamic irrigation channels and fountains.
Another innovation was the introduction of exotic plants tough enough to withstand the local climate, such as bamboos from Indo-China and southern African lilies. Eventually, collections of rare or spectacular specimens of cacti, succulents, drought resistant bulbs and palms from round the world were built up and still thrive today, often reaching magnificent proportions.
Yet it was Majorelle’s artistic eye for colour in garden design, particularly his stunning use of a vibrant cobalt blue, that gave his garden its iconic quality. He used this (now known as Majorelle blue or bleu Majorelle) for the walls of his house and studio, and for huge glazed plant pots placed at focal points. It works beautifully against the grey-greens and olives of Mediterranean and semi-desert plants, and is a perfect complement to the four sources of his inspiration:
- Marrakesh’s clear blue desert skies.
- Lapiz blue found in classical Islamic tile work.
- Indigo-based dye, ‘Berber blue’, used in local clothes and weaving.
- ‘French blue’ favoured by Impressionist Claude Monet in his paintings and home furnishings.
He also used ochre, desert red and terracotta for paths, touches of orange, lemon and lime for smaller pots to bring out ripe citrus fruit colours, and carefully selected shades of tumbling bougainvillea (salmon and white).
The result is a stylish masterpiece that was opened to the public in 1947 and has inspired many imitations. French haute couture designer Yves Saint Laurent was so impressed that he bought Jardin Majorelle in 1988 and renovated it. On his death in 2008 his ashes were scattered here.
Keynotes of Jardin Majorelle Style for a Gardening Future of Drought and Global Warming
- Use of indigenous plants suited to the local climate, especially in drier areas.
- Sparing but effective and decorative use of water in pools, fountains and irrigation channels.
- Incorporating house and out-buildings into the style and colours of the garden.
- Controlled use of exotic plants suited to local conditions.
- Movement away from annual flowering bedding plants towards drought-resistant cacti, trees and shrubs.
- Creative use of bright artificial colours for hard landscaping and other garden accessories.
- Decorative incorporation of fruiting trees, herbs, scented and medicinal plants into garden design.
Jacques Majorelle is remembered today more for his innovative garden design than for his paintings. His studio is now the Marrakech Museum of Islamic Art, but with water shortages and global warming ahead, gardeners should find plenty to encourage and inspire them in Jardin Majorelle.
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