The Jewel of Marrakech- Majorelle Garden

Keith P. Tomlinson 
The Virginia Sportsman Garden Column, Winter 2014

A brisk fifteen minute walk east beyond the ancient ramparts surrounding Marrakech, a forested enclave beckons. Once past the cacophonous traffic replete with gasping mules and the occasional camel the extraordinary sanctuary of Majorelle Garden comes into view.  Consistent with much of Morocco’s architecture, a walled courtyard functions as an intimate entrance way. Once inside visitors are embodied in an aesthetic of desert plants, linear water features, meandering pathways and pastels of green, orange, turquois and blue that seems to glow. It’s the deep blue for which Majorelle may be most famous, first observed by the artist in colorful Berber clothing. Often imitated, but never fully reproduced without collaboration of the full Moroccan sun. There is only one garden in the world where a trademark color is its most famous feature. 

Having been waived from service in the French army during World War I due to heart ailments, Jacques Majorelle traveled to North Africa in search of artistic inspiration. His was raised by his well-known artist Father Louis Majorelle, a famous furniture designer who fostered the artistic leanings of his son while he studied architecture and painting.  Jacques first saw Morocco in 1917 as the guest of the colonial Resident General Hubert Lyautey, a family friend. His fascination with Arab culture and art deepened. At the same time he became aware of the native Berbers, often living in the snowy Atlas Mountains just east of Marrakech. After further travels including an extended time in Egypt, Jacques moved permanently to Marrakech, purchasing a shady palm grove outside of town. It was 1923, the artistic seeds of Majorelle Gardens were about to germinate.

Beyond his growing collection of paintings and commercial success, Majorelle was an armature botanist fascinated the living architecture of desert species in particular. He marveled at the adaptations to life in dry climates, so indelibly tough and bold yet graceful and sleek. His collection grew slowly as plans for a permanent house and studio took shape. The near monoculture of date palms on the property was evolving as an artist’s retreat and private garden soon to be infused by a palate of dazzling colors among of the dry-land plants. The origins of one of the world’s most unique pleasure gardens was set forth by a sometimes frail but determined artist with one hand in the soil and the other on the canvass. As the garden developed in the mid-twenties, so too did Marrakech. Over time the garden was surrounded by the relative urbanity we see today. With the costs of maintaining the garden Majorelle opened it to the public in 1947 for a modest entrance fee. The last owners were Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé who bought and refurbished the Garden in 1980. Saint Laurent has a memorial on the site. Today Majorelle Garden is a tourist hot spot on the map of Marrakech and for good reason…it’s an oasis from the cities intense hustle and an artistic wonder to behold.

Walking through the entrance door, city noises rapidly abates as moving water soothes the soul. Within a few steps the formal square entrance courtyard gives way to numerous tall Royal Palms, their strait grey trunks reaching determinedly skyward. In the light shade of smaller Fangipanis or Plumeria trees, South Africa Clivia’s bloom brightly in orange and yellow by the trails edge. This is a pure pleasure garden, lacking any systematic placement of the plants by family or geography. Thus, species from all over the world mix on a gravely reddish soil endlessly tended by gardeners in smart Majorelle Blue jumpsuits. Great care is taken to maintain a picture-perfect appearance. Trails are entirely raised concrete, painted a dull red to blend with the soils. Every trail is neatly hemmed in by bamboo fences made from plants on the property.

Perhaps the most alluring section of the garden sits in front of the brightly colored angular-modern house. The full North African sun imparts an embracing if relentless glow. Here trees native to the Madagascan Spiny forest mix freely with cactus from the US and Mexico. Numerous species of Euphorbias native to Africa are set among large Yuccas with their perfect rosettes of spiny-margined leaves.  A notable unintended botany lesson unfolds as Cactus and Euphorbias dwell together. While these plants are routinely assumed to be related they are from distinctly different families. The Cactus family is almost entirely North American while Euphorbias are most diverse in Africa. These two families are a grand example of parallel evolution. Having evolved separately in similar habitats; they can look similar but are wholly unrelated. At the front of this garden a lovely formal fountain feeds a linear canal leading to tile-roofed pavilion perfect for resting in the shade.

In addition to the gardens the house is now the Berber Museum and book store. The small museum pays homage to the Berbers and there artistic heritage before and after the various Arab conquest of Morocco. Jewelry, brightly colored traditional clothing are on display. In addition, several of Jacques Majorelle’s Berber inspired paintings are exhibited. Across form the museum is a beautifully appointed gift shop and adjacent café. The combination of the garden, museum and cafe makes for an easy half day outing. The Lonely Plant Guide suggests getting there early as it gets crowded. One is well advised to heed this suggestion as the garden is rather small.

Jacques Majorelle’s combined love of art, gardening, architecture and Moroccan culture bestowed an extraordinary gift on both tourists and residents in Marrakech. The history, artistic relevance and botanical displays are unique in the world. Majorelle died of injuries sustained in a car accident in 1962, but his legacy lives on in every visitor who strolls into his exquisite garden. The Jewel of Marrakech, a garden bathed in the deep tones of Majorelle Blue lives on, bringing joy to thousands of visitors annually.