Well, David, wouldn't you agree that although we use the same word, paradise, to describe these traditions, do they really have much in common? The English paradise garden tradition is one which finds expression only in climates with plenty of year round moisture; the typical gardens of Islamic tradition are the expression of a Mediterranean climate. In the Islamic tradition, the importance of water is not simply symbolic (as it is in the English tradition) but also practical. As I understand it, the English paradise garden tradition is characterized by the inclusion of as many different plants as possible, and this is based on the belief that all plants were represented in the Garden of Eden. The suite of plants in an Islamic garden would be much restricted by climate. And the plans I have seen suggest that the plants present were often plants of practical importance such as fruit trees (dates, pomegranates, figs) rather than the sort of plants we think of as being of "botanical interest". Jim McKenney Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, with more snow falling on top of the sixteen inches we already have. On Thursday, February 13, 2014 5:15 PM, David Pilling <pbs@pilling.demon.co.uk> wrote: Hi, In message <1392308590.79920.YahooMailNeo@web121303.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>, Jim McKenney <jamesamckenney@verizon.net> writes >The paradise garden tradition is still strong in England: where else on >earth is there the combination of tradition, climate and cultural >aspiration to support such a thing? From wikipedia: "Traditionally, an Islamic garden is a cool place of rest and reflection, and a reminder of paradise." -- David Pilling email: david@pilling.demon.co.uk web: http://www.davidpilling.net/