Le Jardin Secret: The Hidden Gem of Marrakech
Marrakech is its vibrantly colourful souks, winding red medina alleyways, and lively squares—and yet tucked discreetly behind an unassuming doorway lies a quiet paradise, Le Jardin Secret, which I had passed many times before even noticing it. Stepping off a sunny street of high caravansarai walls is a lovingly restored botanical sanctuary, a walking pathway into another world.
Originally part of a 16th-century Saadian palace, the garden had fallen into ruin for decades; it is the largest riad in the Medina and took years before rejoining all parts to begin the meticulous restoration. The riad includes two courtyards, the largest part has been restored as a traditional Islamic Paradise garden, complete in geometric design and Koranic symbolism. The smaller garden at the entrance area is designed as a different view of Paradise referencing Genesis in the Old Testament showing the richness and variety of creation. Recreated in recent years by award-winning British garden designer Tom Stuart Smith.
What makes Le Jardin Secret so unique is its dual character. There are two distinct gardens, each telling a different story through their plants, layout, and spirit.
On entry into the Exotic Garden you see at once a feast of botanical variety, this garden bursts with lush foliage and towering cacti from around the world. Here, plant life becomes a global conversation—Mexican agaves stand beside Mediterranean herbs and tropical palms. With intimate spaces to sit and sketch, listen to flowing water and watch many birds, I spent a lot of time here enjoying the shady corners. In fact, it inspired me to dream about my future home garden —a little haven of green in México where I recreated some of this quiet jungle magic on a much smaller scale.
The traditional Islamic garden is the centrepiece and immediately enters into centuries of cultural, spiritual, and aesthetic tradition. Designed with mathematical precision and deep symbolic intent, this garden draws from the Persian concept of chahar bagh—a quadripartite layout divided by water channels representing the four rivers of Paradise described in the Qur’an.
At its heart, the garden expresses a vision of paradise on earth—an oasis where shade, scent, and sound offer respite from the harshness of the surrounding desert. Here are some of the key symbolic principles reflected in its design:
Symmetry & Geometry – The garden is designed to encompass perfect balance. Paths, planting beds, and water channels all mirror each other in creating a harmonious, contemplative space. Ancient olive and citrus trees are planted in a grid pattern along the north and south courtyard walls and surrounding them, the space is richly planted with flowing grasses interspersed with fragrant lavender, poppies and wild garlic. Clipped Rosemary hedges serve to delineate and emphasise the contrast of wild growth and disciplined containment throughout – mystical!
Water as Life & Spirit – Water flows gently through narrow rills and collects in pools, not only to irrigate but to effectively evoke a calm and reflect the divine. The sound of water is as important as the reflective ethereal sight as it flows over traditional deep green glazed Marrakeshi zellij tiles.
Enclosure & Privacy – High walls typically surround the garden, separating it from the busy chaotic world outside. In Islam, the idea of the garden as a private, enclosed refuge reflects both modesty and sanctuary, a space to connect with the Divine.
Citrus Trees & Aromatic Plants – Orange and lemon trees, along with jasmine, mint, lavender, wild garlic and roses, offer not just shade but heavenly scents. These plants are traditionally selected for both their utility and sensory pleasure and interwoven to subtly speak to the senses.
Spiritual Axis – Gardens are aligned with cardinal points or Mecca, the garden’s designed to subtly connect the earthly with the divine, thus making the act of walking through it truly a spiritually meditative journey. The kiosk at the garden’s centre provides shady seating from which to contemplate the directions. Wooden lattice work, arches and hidden alcoves provide intimate corners from which further trajectories can be viewed.
Many aspects of this garden are really only revealed with time and quiet contemplation; a fresh overview can also be seen from the rooftop café, where sipping a delicious mint tea is a must! Le Jardin Secret isn’t just a beautiful place - it is a poetic one. A quiet nod to centuries of garden philosophy where planting designs are not only decorative but a reflection of a much deeper connection from an earthly paradise and order to the sacredness of life in a more universal paradise. In this little oasis, hidden in plain sight, you can feel all of that - take the time to pause and look closely.
