Beautiful plants

In my family, as in many families, the garden was the domain of women. It was a space where they could express their creativity, free themselves from the social constraints imposed by their role as mother and wife. It was a place of fulfillment, but also a place of work and rigour. They grew flowers there for the pleasure of the eyes. They grew fruits and vegetables to feed the family, herbs to treat minor everyday ailments. But unlike the gardens developed by men, landscapers or professional gardeners, these women’s gardens were often looked down upon, considered as a secondary, utilitarian or futile space.