A Stroll in Jardin Majorelle

Greetings! When I was in Marrakesh, Morocco last month, I went to visit Jardin Majorelle (or The Majorelle Garden) one afternoon. The garden made such a lovely impression that I want to document it with some of my photos on my blog.

BRIEF HISTORY:

Jardin Majorelle was the creation of French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962), who spent forty years injecting his passion and creativity into this magical garden. He painted the garden walls, fountains, features and villa in a fresh and intense blue colour, for which he trademarked the name Majorelle Blue.

Famed designer Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, his longtime business partner and onetime life partner, bought Jardin Majorelle in 1980 and restored it. They transformed Majorelle's villa-studio into a museum open to the public, and dedicated to Berber culture.

Jardin Majorelle is one of the most visited sites in Morocco. It is a beautiful oasis in a bustling city. I hope my photos below show you why. Click to enlarge the pictures if you like.

JARDIN MAJORELLE MAIN FEATURES:

1. Fountain at the entrance: Before entering the garden itself, we see an enclosed space with a square fountain designed by renowned American decorator Bill Willis. I love everything about this fountain such as the light terracotta tile floor, the blue and green tiles around the fountain, the symmetrically arranged plants in terracotta pots, the soft sound of gurgling water, the hanging branches partially covers the door, and the curved walls that separate the garden from the bustling city outside.

Fountain at the entrance of Jardin Majorelle

2. Cacti: Although Jacques Majorelle collected many plants for his garden, he was especially interested in cacti. Out of respect for this passion, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé continued to expand the collection, which today includes about thirty members of the cactus family. Some have been imported from the southwest regions of the United States.

Cacti in Jardin Majorelle

Plants in Jardin Majorelle

3. Majorelle Blue square fountain: This fountain is located in front of the Berber Museum, which used to be Jacques Majorelle's villa-studio. It's painted in his trademark Majorelle blue paint. I love the lemon yellow planters that accentuate the surrounding greenery and together they compliment the vibrant blue fountain. Similar to the fountain at the garden entrance, the soft trickling sound of water at this fountain has a soothing effect.

Square fountain painted in Majorelle blue

4. Berber Museum: The Berber Museum was officially inaugurated on the ground floor of the villa-studio of Jacques Majorelle in December 2011. More than 600 objects were on display inside the museum to introduce visitors into the Moroccan world of the Berbers.

Berber Museum in Jardin Majorelle

5. Museum Bookshop: The museum bookshop has an extensive selection of works about Morocco, and Berber art in particular. It is also an art gallery featuring a wide variety of antique photographs, watercolours, drawings and engravings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. I like the intricate design of the bookshop windows, painted in yellow, as seen behind the cascading plants below.

A view of Museum Bookshop windows

6. Galerie Love: This gallery exhibits the 'Love' posters that Yves Saint Laurent created starting in the 70s to 2005. He sent them every year as New Year's greetings to his friends and the clients of his fashion house. I love the colours that Yves Saint Laurent used in his collage to create the posters.

Yves Saint Laurent's "Love' posters in Galerie Love

Galerie Love in Jardin Majorelle

7. Boutique Majorelle: The on-site boutique offers a wide range of unique, high quality clothing and products, designed exclusively for the Jardin Majorelle. From my quick browsing, I noticed a silk and cotton clothing line, silver jewellery, silk scarves, hand-woven textiles, embroidered leather cushions, leather goods, artisan soaps, and traditional handmade preserves. The displays were beautiful.

Boutique Majorelle

Boutique Majorelle

8. Water lily pool: I love everything about this pool. The reflections in the water, the water lilies, the koi fish, the aquatic plants, the Asian lotus flowers, the blue borders, and the lush vegetation in the garden. It looks like a wonderful spot to reflect and contemplate.

Water lily pool in Jardin Majorelle

9. Palm trees: There are many varieties of palm trees in Jardin Majorelle. Some of them have been imported from the South Pacific, eastern Africa, India, the Mediterranean basin and the Canary Islands. Palm trees and olive trees are considered holy in Morocco. I like how the red pathway or the terracotta grounds contrast with the green bamboo and palm trees.

Palm trees in Jardin Majorelle

Bamboo and Palm trees in Jardin Majorelle

10. Yves St Laurent Memorial: Yves Saint Laurent died on June 1, 2008. Peter Bergé died on September 8, 2017. The memorial in Jardin Majorelle, in memory of Yves Saint Laurent, is composed of a Roman column which came from his Tangier home and was placed on a terracotta base. A plaque bearing the names of Yves Saint Laurent and Peter Bergé and two white marble benches allow visitors to pause and remember.

Yves Saint Laurent Memorial in Jardin Majorelle

11. Bamboo: The little bamboo forest inside the garden provides pleasant green shades and a sense of tranquillity. There is a canal running through the garden with Majorelle blue borders. The reflections of the bamboo in the water add to the calming effect of the garden.

Bamboo in Jardin Majorelle

12. Pavilion: The pavilion was designed by Jacques Majorelle, who painted there. My photo below captures the steps leading to the Pavilion and the surrounding plants.

Steps leading to the Pavillion in Jardin Majorelle

Jardin Majorelle is an enchanting garden and very nice oasis in Marrakesh. I love its beauty and tranquillity. I love when I explore a new point of interest and it turns out to be a captivating discovery.

What do you think?