The Romanian Rustic Garden

The Romanian rustic garden never had a pure aesthetical function. The peasant having a house full of children who had to be fed, having hectares of land that had to be cultivated, having tens of animals that had to be taken care of, couldn't be able to have a garden to take a walk, to meditate, to listen music or for another occupation.

The care for tomorrow or for the family future was reflected in the manner of his garden organization. Just beside his farm, the farmer had all the necessary for food preparation.

Through the maize that never missed from his farm, he cultivated pumpkins as large as a cartful wheel or gourds for the children games. Also he looked after the orchard, full of almost ripe fruits and the vegetable garden where the peppers were ripening in the mild light of the autumn sun.

Among all that vegetables or, rarely, in a special place, there were the multicoloured flowers, frequently used to decorate the hair tresses of the girls ready for celebration.

From where have these girls taken the models for the flowery shimmies or for the coloured towels? Of course, from the flowers strewed around the house, flowers that cried at the wedding for the brides who have affectively taken care of them. For the most times, the young peasant woman were that who have taken care of the flowers, who have wetted them with fresh water from the draw well and have loosened them with the same tools that they loosened the cabbage.

The flowers that perfumed in autumn the householder courtyards were undoubtedly the large simple chrysanthemums. Their diverse coloured corollas resisted to the autumn coldness until the peasants brought home the crops from the fields. At that time, all from the house celebrated the crop gathering and treated themselves with the fruits of their work, plentifully arranged on the white towel having floral motives.

If it happened to be visited by some neighbor, they invited him to eat bread and salt according to the ancient tradition and also, to drink wine from the new crock fixed in the pole of the wattle.

We have considered that, beside the other gardens, you will find this place cheerfully and hospitably by the colour and the particular perfume of the chrysanthemums and ripe quinces from the childhood house or from the guest room of the grandparents.