The Garden that Resonated with Me Most

Before this class, I never really put much thought into what goes into gardens and the significance they have had throughout history, especially in Europe. As we learned about each type, I always found a feature I enjoyed in each one. Each type of garden was unique and had a different character and feel to it. Even though I liked all the gardens we studied, it was when we came upon the English landscape garden that I found my favorite.

Most of the other gardens were very beautiful and intricate but the English landscape garden took a much different approach. Contrary to the styles that came before it, it was made to look as though man did not play a role in the creation of it. The focus was on the “natural” beauty that could “only come from nature itself”. I really enjoy places that have a view and I thought that it was interesting and beautiful that the landscape designers used the borrowed views to extend the garden far beyond the actual bounds. When I think about what a garden should be and what I enjoy about being in a garden is that you are able to escape into nature. The English landscape garden was the one that I thought was able to communicate that.

I found it so interesting to be able to study all the different types of gardens that Europe has to offer. Each and every one was beautiful and unique. Although I enjoyed all of them, I felt that the English landscape garden really represented what I thought a garden should be about. It was a place to go and enjoy what nature looked like and even though it was still man made, I felt that it accomplished that.

For more information on the English Landscape Garden, check out this link:

http://www.gardenvisit.com/history_theory/library_online_ebooks/ml_gothein_history_garden_art_design/english_landscape_garden_designers

Photo Links:

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

http://traveltrales.wordpress.com/category/natural-britain/

http://www.historyextra.com/feature/english-landscape-garden

The Arts and Crafts Gardens

In 1870, the fashion of gardens began to change once again, as it always does and there began a battle between horticulturist and architect. Out of this battle, two people came together to take the best of both worlds and combine them into one. This was the beginning of the Arts and Crafts gardens and Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens were the ones to behind it.

The Arts and Crafts movement was a reaction. It was a reaction against the current state of the arts at that time. It was all about traditional craftsmanship and simple forms. The zeitgeist of this time was all about good times and played a role in the design of gardens. Jekyll and Lutyens came together and created harmony in their designs. Theirs strengths and weaknesses complimented each other’s perfectly. Jekyll knew everything there was to know about the horticulture part of designing gardens and Lutyens strengths were in the design of architecture. They were able to create a flow between the house and the gardens. The architecture would flow into the gardens in the form of paths, terraces, walls, buildings and water features. The design of the planting that Jekyll was responsible for was inspired by her training in impressionist art. She planted flowers in beautiful clumps with soft lines. She was the first to apply the color theory to flower planting. It was a complicated process, much more than one would think. She had to take into consideration the flowering times, the plant form and height, and the greenery that was involved. The basic idea in the partnership between Jekyll and Lutyens was that Lutyens created the buildings and the framework and Jekyll filled all of the beds. This combination created beautiful gardens for example Munstead Wood. The most popular feature of this garden was the iris and lupin border that Jekyll created.

The Arts and Crafts movement and the teamwork between Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens created harmony between structure and plants. These gardens were truly the best of both worlds.

For more information on Munstead Wood, check out this link:

http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/munstead_wood_garden

Photo Links:

http://www.godalmingmuseum.org.uk/index.php?page=gertrude-jekyll

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/property/article3274119.ece

http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/rosa-munstead-wood--ausbernard--pbr/classid.2000018788/

The Battle of Styles

As the wheel of fashion began to turn during the 19^th century, as it always does, a battle of styles emerged in the world of gardens. This battle was two-sided, between the horticulturist and the architect. It was a battle between natural and formal and between William Robinson, a horticulturist, and Sir Reginald Blomfield, an architect.

William Robinson was an Irish gardener who began his career at a young age. He believed that because gardens were made of plants, the design belonged to gardeners. Robinson’s style was based out of his love of plants. It could be described as very natural and very informal. He had a love for plants that were hardy perennial plants meaning that they lived for more than two years and you didn’t have to replant them every year. The approach taken by Robinson was a wild one. He chose to use grouping of plants that looked very natural and not placed. He had a respect for a plant’s natural growing habits and did not want to force them to look a certain way. Overall his gardens were very informal and were most similar to the English landscape gardens that came before. His goal was to create gardens that allowed people to truly appreciate the beauty of plants.

Sir Reginald Blomfield

On the other side of the battle was Sir Reginald Blomfield. He was an architect and garden designer who had a distaste for the naturalistic style such as those designs by William Kent and William Robinson. He also had another, John Sedding, on his side. Blomfield felt that gardens were the setting for the house, which meant that it was the architect’s responsibility to design them. His style was polar opposite to that of Robinson’s, in that it is very formal. His inspirations came from the formal Renaissance gardens. He wanted to connect smoothly the architecture and the garden and believed that the formal garden was the best way to do this. Sedding was also an architect and garden designer who had very similar views to those of Blomfield. He liked the idea of basic and clean-cut gardens and his inspirations came from formal English gardens.

John Sedding

From all of these debates, the arts and crafts garden emerged. Gertrude Jekyll who was a gardener and Sir Edwin Lutyens who was an architect were able to form a team and bring together the best of both worlds. They were able to collaborate on both the housing and the gardens and turn them into a coherent piece of work. The best portrayal of their work can be found at Hestercombe House.

Hestercombe House

For more information about the Hestercombe House, check out this link:

http://www.hestercombe.com/things-to-do/hestercombe-house.html

Photo Links:

http://www.gardeninggonewild.com/?p=11334

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

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=44568748

https://www.flickr.com/photos/48028479@N00/5089035338/

The Urban Green Spaces in Copenhagen

In the cities of today, it is often hard to escape the streets full of buildings, cobblestone and pavement and find spaces where you can go and enjoy nature. Copenhagen has done an excellent job of transforming the old fortification into a variety of urban green spaces that bring nature into the city. Each space has its own character and uses that the residents of Copenhagen can enjoy.

Ørstedsparken was the first stop on our tour of the urban green spaces and is a beautiful park that was my personal favorite out of all the spaces we visited. It truly brings nature into the city and feels as if you completely leave the city of Copenhagen. The way it is shaped, you lose the sound of everything going on around it and can enjoy the beauty that it has to offer. The rolling hills, curved paths, grass lawns, beautiful flowers and elongated lake make it the perfect place for all kinds of activities. Running, walking, picnics, kids playing and reading a book are just a few of the uses that this park is just right for.

The next stop was the Botanical Gardens. Although this garden had similarities to Ørstedsparken in that there was a lot of greenery along with many flowers and trees, the character and uses were different. The Botanical Gardens were more of a living museum that the people of Copenhagen can enjoy. There are a vast amount of exotic plants that you would not normally find in Denmark or even Europe for that matter. There is also a beautiful rockery that one can explore but is also a feature you do not see in the other urban green spaces. This garden is more of a place where you can walk through and just take in the beautiful plants that you otherwise would not be able to see without leaving Denmark. Finally it serves as a place of research for scientists studying plants.

Østre Anlæg looked a lot different than the first two spaces. It did not have just one character. It was separated out into different parts and each part seemed to be its own space. As you walked through the pathway it was almost as if you were walking into completely different parks. First there was an area for children to play as well as a lake. The lake was a beautiful feature but could also be used as a place for students to study water life. As you continue to walk you come to an area that has places to sit and is surround by beautiful flowers. This would be a perfect area for reading or even a picnic. Having the path there allows for running and walking as well. Although you can still do many of the same things you can do in Ørstedsparken, the separation of each space changes the character of Østre Anlæg and differentiates it.

The last stop was Kastellet, which differed greatly from the first three urban green spaces. It is still used today as a military base, which I find very interesting that the public is allowed to use it. You walk up on top of the hills that form a star shape. You can walk or run on the paths and take in the views of Copenhagen especially the harbor. Although there are not very many things that you can do on the paths other than run and walk, for those who enjoy those activities, it is a perfect place. It allows for a different view for a run or walk than that of any other place in Copenhagen.

As someone who truly enjoys nature and being outside, I think Copenhagen has done a fantastic job of creating urban green spaces for the residents who live in the city. It gives the people a place to spend time outside and in nature without having to even leave the city.

For more information on some of the urban green spaces mentioned above, check out this link:

http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/nature/top-10-gardens-parks

Photo Sources

http://gyldenlove.dk/tag/koebenhavn

http://www.iussi.org/iussi2010/Excursions.htm

http://parkmuseerne.dk/en/oestre-anlaeg/

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/1331707

The Three Most Influential English Landscape Designers

Charles Bridgeman was an English garden designer who was part of the landscape garden movement. Although much of the movement was fueled by the anti-French idea, Bridgeman was influenced by the French garden style. Because of this, he played a role in the transition from the structured to the more free designs. Being that he was a transition designer during this time, he kept some of the features from previous formal gardens. For example, he still incorporated the clipped hedges in his garden designs. He also retained some of the geometric shapes and straight lines that the previous gardens had. Then he added new features such as garden buildings, soft rolling hills, and winding paths. He utilized ha-has to make the landscape even freer and to bring in the views surrounding it. The gardens that Bridgeman designed were able to bring the writings of Joseph Addison and Alexander Pope to life. Many of the designs that Bridgeman did were redesigns of the estate gardens of wealthy nobleman. He was even appointed Royal Gardener for a time. Bridgeman played a role in the designs of gardens such as Kensington Gardens and the Stowe landscape garden to name a couple.

Plan for Kensington Palace Gardens

 William Kent was the next to push forward the English landscape movement. Kent was considered a landscape architect and had little horticulture knowledge at all. He would produce drawings of the landscapes and then others would produce them. The way he looked at a landscape design was through they eye of a painter. Unlike Bridgeman, he veered away from the formal structure and designed a more relaxed landscape. His gardens were also very much about the mood that it portrayed whether it be tranquility, melancholy, etc. Many of the features that Charles Bridgeman brought to the landscapes were also used by Kent. He used curving lines as well as opened his gardens up to the borrowed landscapes through the use of the ha-has. Kent’s gardens were also known for having temples in them. Additionally he added arches and the Palladian Bridge. Rousham House and Garden is the best example of William Kent’s work today. In this specific Kent landscape, you can encounter Roman features in the statues that are placed throughout. One of the most incredible features is the rill that curves through the woods from the Cold bath to the Vale of Venus. He also made a contribution the Stowe landscape garden originally done by Charles Bridgeman.

Rousham Garden Rill

Capability Brown was one of the greatest English landscape architects to come around. Many have said that his ability and designs often over shadow those who came before him including Bridgeman and Kent. This being said, Brown spent some time working under William Kent at Stowe. Brown’s landscapes included smooth grass that would run straight up to the house. He had strategically placed clumps, belts and scattering of trees that always allowed for the perfect views. There were also serpentine like lakes. All these features completely wiped away the idea of the formal gardens that came before.  Unlike the English landscapes that came before his, there were no walls, buildings or statues. Brown’s gardens were made completely of turf, trees and water. He was able to create unbelievable views that you would almost certainly believe were natural. Brown is said to have created over a hundred landscape gardens but one of his most noted works was Blenheim Palace.

Blenheim Palace and Gardens

For more information on the gardens mentioned above, check out these links:

http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington-gardens

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stowe/

http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/rousham_house_and_garden

http://www.blenheimpalace.com/

Sources:

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

http://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/charles_bridgeman

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

http://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/william_kent

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

http://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/lancelot_capability_brown

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/81572/Lancelot-Brown

Photo Sources:

N.d. Photograph. Austenonly.comWeb. 6 Apr 2014. <http://austenonly.com/2010/05/09/jane-austen-and-london-i-had-a-pleasant-walk-in-kensington-gardens-on-sunday-with-henry/>.

Rousham Gardens: Watery Walk & Cold Bath. N.d. Photograph. geographWeb. 6 Apr 2014. <http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1180686>.

N.d. Photograph. British ToursWeb. 6 Apr 2014. <http://www.britishtours.com/blenheim-palace-oxford-windsor>.