Looking back at the year that passed, I regret missing the opening ceremony of the Jardin d’Erevan in Paris by a day. This memorial, located not far from Champs d’Elysees, would not be possible without the contribution and support of the great Aznavour. In fact, the Frenchmen knew about the fragrance of the Armenian garden from Dumas, pere, “A tea with a variety of Armenian preserves, each more unusual than the next one, was served.” Armenians have been famous for their gardens since ancient times. It is not a coincidence that the name of our motherland — Hayastan — rhymes with the word Aygestan (land of gardens). Let me present three examples of Armenians’ modern-day horticultural achievements. Although China is considered the country where apricots originated, the Latin word for apricot is Prunus Armeniaca (Armenian Plum). Not in China or anywhere else in the world can one find such flavorful apricots as the ones grown in Armenia. I can testify to this from my own experience.
At the end of the 19th century, Ashkhen Hovakimian (Agnes Joaquim) cultivated a new kind of orchid in a far away land in South East Asia. It was named after her — “Miss Joaquim.” The flower, cherished by the gentle hands of the Armenian woman, became the national symbol of the “City of Lions” — Singapore. Armenians also managed to enrich the fruit basket of the Golden State…by adding figs to it. To those who are skeptical I would recommend referring to California Trivia.
Every spring there are Armenian gardens blooming in different corners of the world. And every spring on April 24, for 95 years now, a poignant silence, more articulate than any words, louder that any cries, and more expressive than tears, takes over Armenians around the globe! No, it is not the vengeance that the hard-working, creative Armenian hands are seeking; it’s the justice that their hearts are longing for! Longing, while cultivating their gardens… while each one of us, in his own way, recalls the beautiful garden — the Garden called Armenia.
Raphael Hakopjanian, Editor-in-Chief
Yerevan: Actual and Virtual
