Flowers galore

The garden style that resonated most strongly with me this semester was the arts and crafts garden. My favorite part of gardens has always been the plants and flowers. Although I really do appreciate the statues and sculptures and water features, whenever I think about gardens, I immediately think flowers and beautiful flower arrangements. I have always connected and loved looking at arrangements of flowers. I think this love for planting flowers and plants comes from my mom and all of the summers we spent at the greenhouse picking out different kinds of flowers and plants to put in the garden around our house. I remember watching my mom plant flowers for days when I was little and it is still so shocking to me how much hard work is put into making a garden and a beautiful arrangement of flowers. 

In arts and crafts gardens specifically I love how Gertrude Jekyll 'painted' with flowers and made such beautiful painterly gardens. All of the gardens from her are absolutely beautiful and you can tell how much hard work was put into them to make them look this way. I also love how closely Lutyens worked with her. Although I am not very familiar with architecture, I can really tell from all of his designs that he put a lot of work into them and worked directly with Jekyll to place the buildings/houses in the right locations with the gardens.A few of my favorite by Jekyll are the Holy Island Lindisfarne because the colors are absolutely beautiful and you can just see how intricate the detail is in the planting. The manor garden also shows how beautiful Jekylls work is and how the flowers just seem to go together.

Manor house

Lindisfarne

This semester in this course I have learned about and seen many different kinds of gardens. Out of all of the gardens we studied I am still very interested in flowery/plant filled gardens. I especially like the arts and crafts gardens because I really like how they come from the cottage idea. I have always been very into 'cutesy' little cottages and cabins and the intricate little decorations and gardens. I think the most important part about these arts and crafts gardens and Jekyll and Lutyens is that they make the architecture and gardens look so effortless when it was very hard work. Although I still like flowery gardens the best, I am very happy I took this course and learned about garden art in European culture as I have gained a new appreciation for many of these styles and designs.

Flowers and plants really just seem to liven up a garden and make it pop with color and excitement which is why I resonate so much with these arts and crafts gardens and specifically Jekyll's beautiful designs.

Example of a beautiful arrangement of flowers by Jekyll

For more practical information on arts and crafts gardens view my blog 9. Thanks for reading :)

Pictures:
http://www.gardenvisit.com/uploads/image/image/862/86228/holy_island_lindisfarne_jekyll_garden_original.jpg
http://im.ft-static.com/content/images/498add27-3762-4bdc-bdbe-049142f2e5c0.img
http://www.gertrudejekyllgarden.co.uk/images/pitch-4.jpg

Arts and Crafts garden

People wanted something new in garden design after the High Victorian gardens. There was a battle of styles between the gardener and writer William Robinson and architect and writes Sir Reginald Blomfield. Robinson had a naturalist vision, very informal with no straight lines, and wanted the contents to be strictly plants. Blomfield wanted a formal and geometric, Elizabethian landscape with topiary and plants. They went head to head in writings to find that they had a common enemy, which was to get rid of high victorian bedding. This battle of the styles led to the arts and crafts gardens. 

The goal of the arts and crafts garden was to preserve skills and popularize art and craftsman. The arts and crafts stood for traditional craftsmanship using simple forms and often applied medieval, romantic or folk styles of decoration. It advocated economic and social reform-essentially anti-industrial.The major influences and origins for these gardens were cottage gardens, and hardy, old-fashioned country cottage plants/flowers. They were very "pretty" and "romantic whimsey". An example of this is Anne Hathaway's cottage. In this example, the owner/person behind the arts and crafts garden was a big influence as well.

Anne Hathaway's cottage

The gardener, Gertrude Jekyll and architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens found each other during this time of arts and crafts gardens. They began a partnership as they had kindred spirits and knew exactly how one another were thinking. Jekyll had trained as an artist and was inspired by Turner, impressionism and use of color. She lived in Munstead Wood in Godalming where her laboratory was in 1897. It was hand built with local materials and craftsman. It was the first collaboration between Jekyll and Lutyens as Jekyll did the architecture and Jekyll did the garden. The gardens were not formal, they fit into the landscape. They had a long border that was the most famous part of the garden. Jekyll arranged the flowers according to theory of color. She was the first to apply painterly color to gardens and she re-invented the herbaceous border. She could paint with flowers. Jekyll and Lutyens were very popular. In 1897 the new magazine Country Life by Edward Hudson regularly featured Jekyll and Lutyens work. 

Munstead Wood

The arts and crafts gardens were very beautiful. They had a geometric structure that linked the architecture of the house to the garden. The gardens were full of outdoor rooms and were often enclosed by majestic yew hedges, long vistas, majestic pergolas, circular steps and pools, flower-filled rills, arches, and quiet courts all clothed in plants and flowers. These gardens were pretty high maintenance and a lot of work to keep up. In arts and crafts gardens, Jekyll and Lutyens and other arts and crafts designers always consulted the genius of the place. They knew exactly how to plant the garden and where to place the house, they also knew how to incorporate the character of the owners. A couple of examples of these arts and crafts gardens are shown below. Hestercombe is a well known design by Lutyens and Jekyll. You can see the beautiful flower work in the garden in Upton Grey by Jekyll. The deanery was one of Lutyens most well known work for the beautiful architecture and the gardens by Jekyll.

Hestercombe

Upton Grey

The Deanery, Sonning

For more information on these beautiful gardens and where I got some of my information. Also a list of gardens to look at or visit below!

Websites:

http://www.gardenvisit.com/history_theory/library_online_ebooks/tom_turner_english_garden_design/nineteenth_and_twentith_century

http://www.independent.co.uk/property/gardening/crafty-business-the-arts-and-crafts-movement-married-house-and-garden-in-a-beautiful-union-8551796.html

Pictures:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Anne_Hathaways_Cottage_and_gardens_15g2006.jpg

http://personal.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Clarke/Pics/Surrey/Munstead/p2.jpg

http://www.gardenvisit.com/uploads/image/image/163/16318/the_manor_house_upton_grey_1358_jpg_original.jpg

http://www.sonning.org.uk/BiF/img/Deanery.jpg

http://api.ning.com/files/58B8q26tWD4IQfjQeDYSDRbaBrwN91-8yVFzRbIL38TTgs*jOeY8OM4SLnm1Cvf8Xi7KC*FofsFvN0cjn7bOTmlKbVedvFBk/HestercombeGardens09.jpg

Victorian Villa Garden

Gardening became the most popular in the 19th century due to the new technologies, rise of the middle class, and more diverse plants. More people were gardening and having gardens. This was also when the Victorian society and gardens were introduced. The Victorian society was very uptight. Britain was the worlds first superpower and expressed taste, education, wealth, fashion and possessions. All levels of Britain society were a grand status symbol. Art and nature was one inspiration for the Victorian gardens. 2 Victorian gardens, Biddulph Grange and Chatsworth, showed art and nature combined. The garden designers were investigating how to square the circle and make nature a work of art. Biddulph Grange was contrast between art and nature, while Chatsworth was a coexistence of art and nature. Plant collecting was big in the 19th century which led to these Victorian gardens. They no longer wanted an imitation of nature but rather to show that garden is created by man, it is a work of art.

Chatsworth

Biddulph Grange

Victorian gardens could be both formal and informal depending on what was in the garden and how it was created. They do however look like they have been put there by man. They have plants from all over the world. The plant hunters and exotic plants were the inspirations for these gardens as the plants were formal and artistic. This was the most important part of the Victorian gardens. Depending on wealth of the owner, the gardens would be mixed and matched with different kinds of plants. The more variety the better. They used these plants for display on conservatory, household decorations, industrialization, increased distribution of wealth, urbanization and suburbanization. The Victorian villas were desired as they were big houses and big grounds. Suburban living was popular so having these villas on the outskirts of town was a big deal.

Example of plants in Waddesdon Manor Gardens, UK

Victorian gardens were enclosed by cast iron fencing. This was very popular during this time to show the ornate design. Besides plants, the Victorian gardens had many ornaments such as arboretums to show trees, brightly colored flower beds that were loud and brash, parterres, glass houses, and rockeries. The gardens also had urns, statues and sculptures, bird baths, and seating.

Example of a glasshouse in London, Crystal Palace

Victorian society and gardens really changed gardening today as gardening became very popular and different plants were introduced. I have included some links below with more information and if you want to start gardening yourself there are some links on how to try a Victorian garden for yourself :)



Sources:
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/victoriangarden#b
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1356400599248/
http://www.victoriana.com/gardening/

Photos:
http://uktripper.com/images/b/biddulph-elevation.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Chatsworth_House.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Crystal_Palace_General_view_from_Water_Temple.jpg
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8515/8475895600_29da7fa3c5_b.jpg

Urban Greenspaces

Open-space is any open space of land that is undeveloped. Often times, open-space includes greenspace.  Greenspace is land that is partly or completely covered with grass, trees, shrubs, or other vegetation. Parks, gardens, and cemeteries are considered greenspace. Greenspaces are often found in bustling cities and urban environments. Because these environments are often full of pesticide run off, poor environmental impacts, and destruction of habitat, greenspaces are and were used to enhance the environmental quality, escape the urban city, and connect to nature. Copenhagen has many examples of greenspace created in the 19th century that are still kept up and well visited today. In 1869 Copenhagen’s fortification ring was decommissioned and it’s grounds were relinquished to the city. A significant part of the City was then reserved for parks.

Ørstedsparken:
Ørstedsparken looks much like it did in the late 1800’s from the old forts. The park retains the section of the moat, and bastions from the old forts that that give the park historical meaning. This park is focused around an elongated lake which runs along the length of the park. People use this park to escape the noisy, chaotic city life and come to relax, run, walk, or be at one with nature. Although the park is in the middle of the city, it is very closed off with the tall trees making it very quiet and peaceful. 

Ørstedsparken

Botanisk Have:

The botanical gardens in Copenhagen were founded in 1600, they were moved twice to where they sit now. They were used to house exotic plants and for research. The gardens today are part of the National History Museum of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen science program uses theses botanical gardens today to study and research the plants, and medicine. Today people come to the botanical gardens to relax, look and think about the beauty of the wild plants. The glasshouses can be used no matter the weather, and is a nice retreat for people to go and look at the plants that come from all over the world and are housed in Denmark. The botanic garden displays Denmark’s largest collection of living plants and houses the only gene bank for wild species. 

Botanisk Have

Rosenborg Castle Gardens or The King’s Garden:

The King’s Garden is the oldest and most visited park in central Copenhagen. In 1606, King Christian IV established this Renaissance style, pleasure garden for the royal household. The garden is now located outside of the present day Rosenborg Castle. The garden had statues, a pavilion, a fountain, and many other features. It also contained an array of fruit, vegetables, and flowers. Years later, the garden was redesigned showing a maze, it had many paths leading to the center. Rosenborg Castle was no longer used by the royal family and was open for the public where the head gardener turned it into a Baroque style garden like it is now. Many people come to the gardens to relax and enjoy the beauty and nature, see the beautiful trees, plants, and flowers, or take a walk or run through it as it is in the center of Copenhagen. 

Rosenborg Castle Garden

Urban greenspaces are becoming more and more popular as people are looking at having “green” environments and “going green”. I love the idea of having every city have more greenspaces, like Copenhagen. Having these natural environments interwoven in the cities is great for the city and the people as they get out more and enjoy nature. A couple sources below that I visited are interested in creating more of these urban greenspaces and making cities “greener”.

Sources:

Urban Greenspaces Walking Tour packet from classhttp://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/uep/openspace.html

http://www.urbangreenspaces.org

Photos: 

http://media.avisen.dk/GetImage.ashx?imageid=719477&sizeid=4http://www.denstoredanske.dk/@api/deki/files/3189/=21221880.jpg
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/180/432477571_b78212f4cd_b.jpg

English Landscape Designers and Innovators

The English Landscape Movement was a re-evaluation of nature. After the Baroque style, English landscape style became popular. This style was based on many things, but mostly on landscape paintings and nature.

Charles Bridgeman was a landscapist during the early 1700’s whose work got overlaid. He broke the bounds of formality and started the whole landscape scene. He united the garden and landscape. His style was a mix of English landscape design and baroque. It was 1. very traditional with parterres, avenues, and geometric lakes. 2. Transitional with garden buildings, lawns, and amphitheaters. 3. Progressive using rides and key vantage points. Bridgeman introduced the design of the garden no longer being walled in. His single greatest contribution to English landscape gardens was the Ha-Ha. This is a sunken hedge at the edge of the garden that looks out to the borrowed landscape. It is apart of the visual landscape. One example of Bridgeman’s work is the Kensington Palace. You can see the transitional style with the wiggly lines, and how it is starting to become softer and more gentle than the baroque gardens.

Kensington Palace Garden Design

William Kent was a painter in the early-mid 1700’s who REALLY broke the bounds of formality. He focused on art and nature combined. He made gardens that looked like paintings. They were very informal. Stowe is an example of this because it is very picturesque. His inspirations were from natural settings. Kent wanted to generate an emotional response in his art. He used classically inspired landscapes of buildings and themes in his paintings, so they were a real live representation. An example of his work is Rousham in Oxford. In this garden he created something in the landscape (like the statues and wall below) just to draw attention and be more artistic. Today it is a real hidden gem. 

Stowe Garden

Rousham Garden

‘Capability’ Brown was an architect and a gardener. His name comes from having “great capabilities” when designing. He worked with Kent and created Stowe. His style was elegant, comfortable and subtle. He used trees, grass, topography and water. He believed landscape should be large scale and he is known for not only having a garden but having a parkland, woods, and a farm within distance of the garden. He often used rivers or lakes that extended through his garden and used Ha-Ha’s to trick the eye into thinking the borrowed landscape was part of the parkland. Beyond the trees he usually had a focal point, a random temple or bridge to give a natural scene. This is shown in Blenheim Palace, one of his most extraordinary pieces of work.

Bleinham Palace Garden

For more information on Bridgeman, Kent, or Brown I have provided interesting links at the bottom of the page where I got some of my information. It is worthwhile to learn more about these designers.
Sources:

https://austenonly.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/kengar978-correction.jpg

http://www.rousham.org/images/gardens/venus_vale.jpg

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&blobheadername2=MDT-Type&blobheadername3=Content-Type&blobheadervalue1=inline%3B+filename%3D946%252F790%252F169631%2Bcropped_thumb_460x0.jpg&blobheadervalue2=abinary%3B+charset%3DUTF-8&blobheadervalue3=image%2Fjpeg&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1349120131258&ssbinary=true

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/08/97/3b/08973b762492901b54cdfd7bac7e13fb.jpg

About the Men:

http://www.britainexpress.com/History/bio/brown.htm

http://www.capabilitybrown.org/lancelot-capability-brown

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardenstovisit/10694705/Why-William-Kent-was-one-of-the-great-garden-designers.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bridgeman

Versailles Palace and Gardens

King Louis XIV was the longest European monarch on reign today. He is very well known by Europeans and by the world because of the palace of Versailles. Before the palace of Versailles, there was a palace built called the Vaux-le-Vicomte. This palace had the first baroque gardens. King Louis XIV wanted something grandeur and better than Vaux-le-Vicomte. He found a hunting lodge in Versailles built by Louis XIII and decided to expand it so he had the palace of Versailles built. Where the garden terrace used to be for the hunting lodge, made way for the hall of mirrors where the king “radiated his power and the destiny of Europe was decided over a century.”

Vaux-le-Vicomte

Although Versailles influence was pan-European, it was all about France. The baroque style garden affected the all of Europe and many gardens today are based off of the Versailles gardens. King Louis XIV made Versailles known to the world for civilization and pleasure. There are many features in the gardens that serve a purpose. The orangerie, or citrus trees, were planted for smell, color, and of course fruit. The bosquets made it feel like visitors were surrounded by woodlands, and the Bassin d’ Apollon fountain referenced the Sun King, Apollo because King Louis XIV often referred to himself as this. 

Bassin d’ Apollon

These features were all built to show how well France was doing at the time and to show that King Louis XIV is important. Versailles was mainly built as a statement of kingly power and to show French wealth. It was also built for security. King Louis XIV wanted his own place that was safe outside of Paris and Versailles was the perfect location. Versailles is also a garden of control, or a golden cage for King Louis to lock in the noblemen. All of the noblemen lived in Versailles so King Louis XIV had control of them and could keep them all in one place because he had trust issues with them. There were many concerts, theaters, pleasure grounds, and entertainment to keep the noblemen happy, busy, and again, under control. Finally, Versailles was a garden of government. It was the seat of power from 1682 and all of the ruling was done there with King Louis XIV.

(The enormous) Versailles

One tiny part of the Versailles garden. You can see the Baroque style

Because of the enormous size of the baroque style gardens of Versailles, its beauty, and all it has to offer, many European countries have based their gardens off of this one. One garden I visited during my travels was the Schonbrunn Palace and gardens in Vienna, Austria. As I have been to Versailles in the past, I was able to draw comparisons to the Schonbrunn and Versailles. They are both massive, intricate, and have many statues, and water features. It was very interesting to make these comparisons after seeing the first Baroque style garden (Versailles) and then seeing one that was based off of that (Schonbrunn).

Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens

For more information on Versailles, I found this page with TONS of useful and interesting information!

http://en.chateauversailles.fr/homepage


References:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/16/39/d1/1639d18b557c7a6a980578a0b8da3416.jpg
http://www.castles.org/castles/Europe/Western_Europe/France/france6.htm
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Palace_of_Versailles,_Bassin_d’Apollon.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Vue_aérienne_du_domaine_de_Versailles_par_ToucanWings_-_Creative_Commons_By_Sa_3.0_-_073.jpg
http://planetden.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Palace_of_Versailles1.jpg
http://travelioo.com/img/Schönbrunn-Palace-Photo1.jpg

Italian Renaissance vs. Northern Renaissance

How are the Italian renaissance gardens similar and different from the northern renaissance gardens (specifically the low countries: Netherlands, Belgium)?

Italian renaissance gardens were dominated by architecture, sculpture, water, and message-laden landscapes. People believed these gardens were structurally all God’s work. Nature was very animate in the gardens. They were organized and imitated by man’s art. The gardens had an axial alignment that was arranged due to the size of the garden, either small or large. There were terraces in Italian renaissance gardens that could be viewed from outside of the garden. The planting was much more intricate than it is today with beds with low hedges, fountains, and trees. Beds were usually only planted with one type of plant that was used to show off. Water was also a huge part of Italian renaissance gardens. These gardens usually had many fountains or sources of water throughout. There were also several parts to the gardens. For example, Villa Lante in 1566 (picture below) had a hunting park, grove, and a paradise area to relax.

Villa Lante

Northern renaissance gardens were west of the alps. Unlike the Italian renaissance gardens being a relationship between God, Man, and nature, the low countries had renaissance gardens that were used to show what the people and country was going through at the time. The Netherlands was at war so their gardens had their own peculiar style. They had little time to work on their gardens until after the war when they used color with bulbs and tulips and lots of ornamentation. Much like Italian renaissance gardens, these gardens had a central water feature, and fountains. They also had terraces surrounding and beds at different levels. You can see in the photo below the brightly colored flowers and ornamentation.

Het Loo Palace (Netherlands)

Belgium’s renaissance gardens were very formal, political, and neoclassical. One garden in Belgium had an astronomical observatory in the garden to show planets at the time, and many had rose gardens and colorful flowers to show the flower advancements of the time. Like the Italian renaissance gardens, many gardens also have a water statue in the center and a gallery of water works. You can see the colorful flowers and formal structure of the Belgium gardens here.

The royal palace and Brussels park

The northern renaissance gardens (Netherlands and Belgium) seem to be more baroque style, while Italian renaissance gardens are more of a cascading, hillside garden in nature. Although, I haven’t yet studied baroque gardens, I did some research to find baroque gardens were used for show and the designers drew upon latest developments, much like in the Netherlands and Belgium renaissance style gardens. For more information on Baroque style gardens and to make comparisons to these gardens, I have added a link below.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Villa_Lante_Jardins.jpg -picture

http://dehrr.patrimonionacional.es/images/participante_sin_video_het_loo.jpg -picture

http://www.visitbelgium.com/uploads/images/Palais_R.JPG -picture

http://www.gardenvisit.com/history_theory/garden_landscape_design_articles/historic_design_styles/high_baroque_garden_design_style -website

Italian Renaissance garden

The renaissance was a re-evaluation of mans relationship with god and nature. It was the rediscovery of the classical texts and the philosophies. Arts and sciences were mainly impacted by the renaissance. 

Humanism was a specific renaissance idea. It was a method of study seeking realism and human emotion in art. It was based on human values and concerns. The two goals of humanism were to understand god and to acquire nature. 

Because the inter-relationship between god, man, and nature was so strong, people believed these renaissance gardens were structurally all gods’ work. Nature was animate, cosmically ordered, and divinely created. In the gardens, nature’s raw materials were organized and imitated by mans art. Italian renaissance gardens were based on duality of art and nature.  

Before the renaissance, gardens were either religious (examples: Mary, monastic, and cloisters) or secular (examples: romance, pleasant space, and enclosed). During the medieval to renaissance period a new garden form gave way. It was an expansive, more outwardly directed, worldlier garden. The Poggio Reale shown below is an example of this early renaissance garden. This garden was made where there was space, like many other renaissance gardens.

Poggio Reale, Naples 1480’s

The architecture of the Italian renaissance gardens was based on symmetry and proportion. Leisure and otium were the main uses for these gardens. Renaissance gardens were hillside and cascaded outwards. 

Villa de Medici, Fiesole, Florence

In the Villa de Medici, the house is placed above the garden so the owner can look down on the gardens. In these renaissance gardens, the villa should be looked at from the house and the house should be looked at from the villa. Villa de Medici is formal, big scale, and looking outward. The owners would invite people to their gardens to discuss what is going on in the renaissance world.

Villa d’este 1550-80, Tivoli

Villa d’este has many water features and layers. This is a perfect example of a renaissance garden. It is dominated by architecture, sculpture, water, and message laden-landscapes. This garden is enclosed but you can easily look over the walls to view the three terraces in the garden and the outside of the garden. The water features show the human based interaction with nature. Many allegories were shown in this garden, which expresses the renaissance by showing values. The water in the water features came from a river that flows through Rome. This shows the owner is connected to Rome. The ‘alley of the hundred fountains’ shows the owner is not only wealthy, powerful, but also family driven. 

Compared to the gardens before this time, the Italian renaissance garden focuses more on meaning and relationship with god and nature, not merely on ornamentation. 

To read more about the history of the Italian renaissance gardens visit:

http://www.gardenvisit.com/history_theory/library_online_ebooks/ml_gothein_history_garden_art_design/italian_garden_history_renaissance -website

Sources:

http://www.gardenvisit.com/uploads/image/image/165/16515/poggio_reale_1822_jpg_original.jpg -picture

http://www.gardenvisit.com/uploads/image/image/487/4875/villa_medici_fiesole1_original.jpg -picture

http://www.enjoyrome.com/admin/showphototour.php?id=28&foto=5 -picture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Renaissance_garden -website

Gardens and Religion

Religion plays a huge role in roman, mediaeval, and muslim gardens. All of these gardens are enclosed, private places to worship or self-reflect. They are looked at as a “paradise” for the people. 
Roman gardens were very sophisticated. They were used for religious expression and worship. The roman peristyle garden is private and enclosed. The architecture was often very intricate and had a roof. Roman gardens were very spirit oriented and were often said to be luxurious. They often had statuary that represented gods and goddesses. Venus represented the goddess of gardens and Priapus represented the god of fertility in the gardens.

House of the vettii, Pompeii, example of a peristyle

During the mediaeval time, religion was the unifying force (control, wealth, and power). Church was fundamental of everyones life and they were psychologically and financially controlled by the church. The mediaeval culture based their lives off of feudalism and the pyramid of power, in which the pope/church was at the top of the pyramid. Mediaeval monastery/monks were the gardeners during this time. They were very self sufficient and they dedicated their lives to god and prayer. The monks spread their religion and horticulture by creating the cloister. The cloister garden was a formal square of grass that had a bit of ornament. People would sit, meditate, and write reflections of their lives in these gardens. All of the herbs and plants in these gardens were planted for a purpose. 

Example of a cloister 

Islamic gardens follow the Qur’an. They are diverse, beautiful gardens that are used for personal reflection. The Qur’an has over 120 references to the phrase “jannat al firdaws” or “gardens of paradise”. So right from the start you can tell the Islamic gardens will be an earthly, divine paradise. The chahar bagh is a fourfold garden of flower beds. It is a place for muslims to self-reflect on their relationship with god and meditate. The four beds of the chahar bagh represent the four rivers of life, like the cloister in mediaeval culture.

Example of a chahar bagh

According to an online article, religion is one of the main reasons for making enclosed and sacred places; much like where the peristyle, cloister, and chahar bagh gardens are found. It is also found that these religious spaces and gardens were created long before some religious buildings were created. This makes all of these gardens very important and sacred to the roman, medieval, and muslim cultures. 

To read more, visit the link below.

Sources:

http://www.gardenvisit.com/history_theory/garden_landscape_design_articles/sacred_gardens WEBhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Pompeii_atrium_reconstruction,_House_of_the_Vettii,_Boboli_Gardens,_Florence,_Italy_-_20100908.jpg PICTURE
http://atasteoftravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/The-Cloisters-New-York-13.jpg PICTURE
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/6972039417_1bd4ba1630_b.jpg PICTURE

Gardens and European culture

Gardens have always been an intrinsic part of European culture. All European gardens are created with a purpose. Some gardens are ornamental or productive, some are religious, and some are just a haven or an escape after a long day.

Plan of Abbey at St. Gall

            Productive gardens are intrinsic to all cultures. They are the common garden you would see at someone’s home. Productive gardens are used to grow vegetables, fruit, herbs, and plants. In Europe, Monastic gardens were an example of these productive, utilitarian gardens. They were self-sufficient gardens that were used to grow vegetables and herbs for food for the monks. These gardens were often found in medieval time, with an example being the Plan of Abbey at St. Gall in Switzerland.

Example of a Monastic garden

Example of Garden in Eden

            Religion was also very important to European culture. Church was fundamental of everyone’s life in the dark ages so gardens were created with religion in mind. Many gardens had statues of gods and goddesses and were a place for religious expression and worship. (Example: the Garden in Eden) Cloister gardens were also monastic, practical gardens but were made with a religious meaning. They were often enclosed and were a place of silence, study, and meditation.

Example of Cloister garden

Example of an orchard

            Royal/noble gardens were also very intrinsic to European culture as these gardens were based on wealth. Religious and productive gardens were too dull for the royals. They wanted a fun, entertaining, or relaxing garden instead. Some types of royal gardens were orchards, parks, vineyards, and herbers. They were often enclosed for protection, and had a formal structure with water features, animals, seats, vines… etc to show wealth.

According to a history of European garden website I found, gardens are like museums, they cannot be copied or altered and they are a representation of the time period (link is below if want to read more). Production, religion, and royalty are the main reasons why gardens have been an intrinsic part of European culture.

Sources:
http://cmsen.eghn.org/et.html - website
http://www.aspigroup.com/properties_comm_sunbasin/CommercialSunBasin3.JPG -picture
http://nortonpriory.org/uploads/images/herb%20garden%20medieval%20reconstruction.jpg -picture
http://www.planetware.com/i/map/CH/plan-of-st-gallen-monastery-map.jpg -picture
http://www.prlog.org/11662841-cloister-garden-image.jpg -picture
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/02/27/article-0-03B1F305000005DC-903_634x440.jpg -picture