When one thinks of an Mughal-style garden from South Asia, coniferous pines and other cold-weather plants likely do not come to mind. However. those are exactly what can be found at the Aga Khan Garden at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden. It is the world’s northernmost Islamic-style garden and, at 4.8 acres in size, the largest in North America.
Islamic gardens are supposed to reflect a vision of heaven, inviting visitors to relax and use their senses in often hot and arid climates. Rather than traditional warm-climate plants such as pomegranates, lotuses, and jasmine, however, the Aga Khan Garden uses Himalayan and native Canadian plants that can stand up to the area’s 4a plant hardiness. Otherwise, the garden is more typical, being laid out in the quadrilateral charbagh format seen outside the Taj Mahal. Its buildings and structures blend traditional Islamic architecture with more modern, abstracted designs and stone quarried from Canada.
