History
Antique
Forest gardening, a forest-based food production system, is the oldest form of gardening in the world.[8] Forest gardens originated in prehistoric times along the banks of jungle-covered rivers and in the humid foothills of monsoon regions. In the gradual process of families improving their immediate environment, useful species of trees and vines were identified, protected and improved, while undesirable species were removed. Over time, foreign species were also selected and incorporated into the gardens.[9].
After the emergence of the first civilizations, wealthy individuals began to create gardens for aesthetic purposes. Ancient Egyptian tomb paintings of the New Kingdom (around 1500 BC) provide some of the earliest physical evidence of ornamental horticulture and landscape design; they depict lotus ponds surrounded by symmetrical rows of acacias and palm trees. A notable example of ancient ornamental gardens was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon - one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - while ancient Rome had dozens of gardens.
Wealthy ancient Egyptians used gardens for shade. The Egyptians associated trees and gardens with the gods, believing that their deities took pleasure in gardens. The gardens of ancient Egypt were often surrounded by walls with trees planted in rows. Among the most popular species planted were date palms, sycamores, figs, walnuts and willows. These gardens were a sign of higher socioeconomic status. Additionally, wealthy ancient Egyptians cultivated vineyards, as wine was a sign of the higher social classes. Roses, poppies, daisies and irises (Iris (plant)") could also be found in the gardens of the Egyptians.
Assyria was also famous for its beautiful gardens. These tended to be spacious and large, and some of them were used for hunting - like a current hunting reserve - and others as leisure gardens. [Cupressos and palm trees were some of the most planted trees.
There were also gardens in the Kush. At Musawwarat es-Sufra, the Great Enclosure dated to the century included splendid gardens.[10].
The gardens of the ancient Romans were laid out with hedges and vines and contained a wide variety of flowers (acanthus, cornflowers), crocuses, cyclamen, hyacinth, iris, ivy, lavender, lilies, myrtle, daffodils, poppies, rosemary and violets,[11] as well as statues and sculptures. Flower beds were popular in the courtyards of wealthy Romans.
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages represents a period of decline of gardens for aesthetic purposes. After the fall of Rome, gardening was carried out in order to grow medicinal herbs and/or decorate church altars. Monasteries maintained a tradition of garden design and intensive horticultural techniques during the medieval period in Europe.[12] Generally, monastic garden types consisted of orchards, infirmary gardens, cemetery orchards, cloister garages, and vineyards. Individual monasteries might also have a "green yard", a patch of grass and trees where horses could graze, as well as a winekeeper's garden or private gardens for obedienciaries, monks who held specific positions within the monastery.
Islamic gardens were built following the model of Persian gardens and were usually enclosed by walls and divided into four by water courses. Typically, the center of the garden had a reflecting pool or pavilion. Islamic gardens are characterized by the mosaics and tiles used to decorate the streams and fountains that were built in these gardens.
At the end of the 19th century, wealthy Europeans began to cultivate gardens for leisure and to obtain medicinal herbs and vegetables.[11] They surrounded the gardens with walls to protect them from animals and to provide insulation. Over the next two centuries, Europeans began planting grass and erecting rose beds and trellises. Fruit trees were common in these gardens and some also had grass seats. At the same time, monastery gardens were a place to grow flowers and medicinal herbs, but they were also a space where monks could enjoy nature and relax.
The gardens of the centuries and were symmetrical, proportioned and balanced with a more classical appearance. Most of these gardens were built around a central axis and were divided into different parts by hedges. Gardens typically had flower beds arranged in squares and separated by gravel paths.
Renaissance gardens were adorned with sculptures, topiary, and fountains. In the 19th century, knot gardens became popular along with hedge mazes. Around this time, Europeans began planting new flowers such as tulips, marigolds, and sunflowers.
country house gardens
Country house gardens, which emerged in Elizabethan times, appear to have originated as a local source of herbs and fruits.[13] One theory is that they arose in the wake of the Black Death of the 1340s, when the death of so many laborers made land available for small country houses with personal gardens.[14] According to the late-century origin legend,[15] these gardens were originally created by workers living in the village huts, to provide them with food and herbs, with flowers planted among them for decoration. Agricultural workers had architectural quality cabins located in a small garden - approximately 1 acre (0.4 ha) - where they could grow food and raise pigs and chickens.[16]
The authentic gardens of the yeoman cottager would have included a beehive and cattle, and often a pig and a pigsty, together with a well. The medieval peasant was more interested in meat than flowers, and herbs were grown for medicinal use rather than beauty. In Elizabethan times there was more prosperity and therefore more space to grow flowers. Even the first flowers in domestic gardens had a practical use: violets were scattered on the ground (for their pleasant aroma and to keep vermin away); calendula and primroses") were attractive and used in cooking. Others, such as sweet willow and hollyhock, were grown exclusively for their beauty.[17]
18th century
In the 19th century, gardens were designed in a more natural way, without walls. This style of smooth, wavy grass, running in a straight line to the house, clumps, belts and scatterings of trees and its meandering lakes formed by small, invisibly dammed rivers, constituted a new style within the English landscape, a form of "gardenless" landscaping, which swept away almost all traces of previous formal styles. The English landscape garden usually included a lake, lawns set in front of groves of trees, and often contained shrubs, grottos, pavilions, bridges and follies such as false temples, Gothic ruins, bridges and other picturesque architecture, designed to recreate an idyllic pastoral landscape. This new style emerged in England at the turn of the century, and spread throughout Europe, replacing the more formal and symmetrical French garden of the century as the main gardening style of Europe.[18] The English garden presented an idealized view of nature. They were often inspired by the landscape paintings of Claude Lorraine") and Nicolas Poussin, and some were influenced by the classic Chinese gardens") of the East,[19] which had recently been described by European travelers.[19] The work of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown was especially influential. Additionally, in 1804 the Horticultural Society was formed.
The gardens of the century had plants such as the spider or the Chilean pine. It is also the time when the so-called "gardenesque" style of gardens evolved. These gardens displayed a great variety of flowers in a fairly small space. Rock gardens increased in popularity in the 19th century.
India: In ancient India, sacred geometry patterns and mandalas were used to design their gardens. The different patterns of the mandalas denoted specific deities, planets or even constellations. Such a garden was also called "Mandala Vaatika". The word "Vaatika" can mean garden, plantation or flowerbed.