Imagine you were a queen, 1,800 years ago, in the small desert state of Palmyra in Syria, jewel of the Silk Road and oasis for the many caravans that cross the borders of your land. Your name is “Zenobia” and sometimes you are called the “Warrior Queen”.  It is certain that you led armies as far afield as Egypt, and that you marched with your armies. Geoffrey Chaucer marvelled at your feats in the “Monk’s Tale” in the Canterbury Tales in 1386. You were said to be beautiful, erudite, gifted in languages and learning, it is also rumoured that you may have been involved in your husband’s assasination, but Chaucer makes no mention of this. Your garden, your temple, your roman baths, and your local shopping centre looked like the photo – and amazingly, much of it is still standing 1,800 years later. What is missing is the daily hustle and bustle of people, traders, merchants, soldiers, camels and horses, and children, the banners and colours of a city on the Silk Road.

Aurelius really thought you had gone too far when you tried to march into Italy and he attacked your lands, captured your lands and ultimately your city. He had you arrested and marched you into Rome, where despite being captive, you managed to marry a Roman governor and live your days in Tivoli – playground of the Roman emperors.

You kept a diary – it was recently found by an Australian textile itinerant. When she has translated your strange but beautiful script, she will share your story here…

Real Gardens can be magic too! A place for contemplation, of greeting the coming spring , of watching buds burst open into yellow, the colour of joy and happiness and sunnyness.See more on the colour yellow on my blog.

Seeking respite from the outside world I chanced upon this “garden” whose magic is there for all to see but which is only seen by those who have eyes to see it and who recognise that beauty lies all around us.