Golden Gate Park in San Francisco is a huge urban park that makes visitors forget they’re in the middle of one of the largest cities in the United States. Part of the reason they’re able to do so is on account of features like Shakespeare’s Garden, which is filled with elements directly and indirectly tied to the author and his plays. Creating such a distinct space has provided the park with an attraction for visitors and a place for residents to relax or hold an event, highlighting what kind of a difference it can make when a space creates an identity.
The Garden of Shakespeare’s Flowers
While the garden and area is commonly known as “Shakespeare’s Garden”, the California Spring Blossom and Wildflower Association originally established it as the Garden of Shakespeare’s Flowers. With a history dating back to 1928, the garden was designed to be a place where all of the flowers mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare could grow. That name can still be seen in the garden itself.
Today, more than 200 flowers mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets fill the space. These include violets, daisies, poppies, roses and lilies. Additionally, a brick wall, rustic sundial and a variety of picturesque benches are a few of the other notable features in the garden, but the bust of William Shakespeare is the most notable of them all. This bronze bust is a copy of the cast made in 1814 by George Bullock from the stone bust of Shakespeare that was created shortly after the poet’s death. Bronze plaques engraved with quotations that deal with flowers and blooms from Shakespeare’s work surround the bust.
Shakespeare’sGarden is a popular wedding site, with two rows of trees that line a possible wedding aisle. Customizable Shakespeare Garden Wedding Ceremony packages take care of everything from permits to accommodations and represent an important source of revenue for Golden Gate Park stakeholders.
Weddings and other events are a couple examples of notable happenings in the space, but it’s a place that is more regularly utilized by residents to relax. It has also become one of the most notable attractions in the city for visitors. This combination has turned what might otherwise just been just another green space into something that pulls in audiences from across the city and world.
Adapting a Legacy
In directly adapting the legacy of one of the most famous authors in the world, Shakespeare’s Garden has been able to create an identity similar to many other urban parks that feature notable statues and attractions. Establishing a space that only features the plants and flowers of Shakespeare’s plays has allowed the garden to become a popular feature on signs and in maps of the city. Doing so has given Golden Gate Park a place that both residents and visitors seek out and can enjoy in numerous ways.
