English Gardens and Landscape - Literature review Example

English Gardens Introduction English gardens architecture and design dates back to 17th century. Prior to this period gardening architecture and design was mainly formal. English gardening integrates both formal and informal architecture and design. This style borrowed mainly from French, Italian and Chinese gardening ideas. The style used in English gardening sort to ape nature in gardening instead of being formal. Historical background During 17th century, gardens were mainly formal (Bushnell 89). They had patterns, which were mathematically laid. This style of gardening was expounded mainly by Italians and the French. Andre Le Notre was one of the foremost gardeners who are credited for laying out the gardens for Louis XIV at the Versailles. These 17th century gardens were ornate and extravagant (Jekyll 42). English critics including Alexander Pope and Richard Addison reacted to these ornate continental styles and agitated for a change in gardening to a more natural style of gardening (Eburne, and Taylor 93). As the critics agitated for natural gardening, several voices clamoured for a new vision of gardening that gentler and less rigorous. As a result, gardening became politicized and as such was used as a philosophical battleground and a statement for political affiliation. William Kent and Charles Bridgeman (landscape designers) are believed to be the inventors of English garden. William Kent is credited for introducing Palladian architectural style in England. It is believed that Kent was inspired by Palladio’s buildings in the Veneto and roman landscapes and ruins. As such, Kent designed gardens, which complimented the houses he built using Palladian architecture (Bushnell 66). Charles Bridgeman who was a royal gardener enabled Kent to realize his architectural visions during their collaborations. The first true English gardens were created by Kent between 1724 and 1733 at Chiswick House for Richard Boyle. These gardens still had formal elements of French gardening although they had some new unique features such as picturesque recreation of an Ionic temple set in a theatre of trees. Kent redesigned the gardens between 1733 and 1736 (Jekyll 59). The redesigning added lawns, which slopped down to the edge of river. Thus, this gardening was inspired by nature and not by architecture. Another English garden created by Kent and Bridgeman was Rousham House in Oxfordshire in 1937. A series of gardens, which had been built by Bridgeman at this house, were recreated by Kent (Martin 88). Kent turned the straight alleys that had been created by Bridgeman into winding paths, which resembled a gently turning stream. He also used natural landscape to create a series of tableaus and views. Another garden that departed radically from formal French design was that at Stowe house (Bushnell 102). The creation of this garden was collaboration between, Kent, Bridgeman and James Gibbs in 1930s. The garden was recreated by Kent who turned the lake into a more natural shape. This garden attracted many visitors from all over Europe. This formed the foundation of English gardening that inspired many gardeners in European continent (Jekyll 87). Brown Lancelot is seen as the most influential figure in the later development of English gardens. He was a creation of Bridgeman and Kent (Eburne, and Taylor 171). Brown simplified gardening by removing geometrical structures, pattern and alleys near the house and instead replaced them with rolling lawns in addition to extensive views, which made the landscape to appear larger than usual. He used English countryside landscape to create artificial lakes and transformed springs or streams using canals and dams into illusion that a river flowed through the garden. Brown created about 170 gardens. English gardens were also influenced by Chinese architecture. This was one of the bases used by critics such as Joseph Addison to criticize English gardeners for following French style instead of imitating nature (Bushnell 71). The Chinese art and architecture was used to construct a Chinese house in Stowe in 1738. William chamber published this style and he built a Chinese pagoda that had gardens and architecture that symbolized all architectural styles and all parts of the world. These Chinese pagodas were later integrated into English gardens (Jekyll 45). The classical and Chinese architecture was joined by gothic revival in 1750s by poet Horace Walpole. The English garden started to spread to other parts of Europe in 1745 when it was first introduced in France by Abbé Le Blanc (Eburne, and Taylor 64). The new style was introduced in German in 1773 by the Duke Leopold III. The style was also introduced in Russia where it was adapted by Catherine the Great in 1774. Concept and philosophy The concept employed in English garden is the creation of nature garden. The concept of nature garden was conceived in order to create a space, which would allow human spirit to experience a sense of freedom and release from clerical, and absolutist chains (Bushnell 63). The origin of this concept was the age of sentimentality and England was the first country to ground this concept into ideological, social and socioeconomic development led by William Kent (Munroe 89). The concept allowed gardening to move from absolutist mastery of nature toward a more rational concept of imitation nature. The concept was intended to create an ideology of enlightened and wealthy experience of nature. The 18th century English gardens represented the intrinsic principle through which upper class manufactured solidarity. The upper class individuals wanted to isolate themselves from the social scene that was found at Vauxhall and Hampton court (Jekyll 61). The members of this group rejected the commercialism and restraints, which influenced formal gardening. As a result Bridgman and Kent begun to remove boundaries, which restricted the Stowe, garden (Munroe 88). This philosophy was expanded by Brown and Vergnaud into came to be believed as Garden of Eden. Elements and principles The way elements are arranged within English gardens space is very important. The main elements in the English garden are gates, hardscapes and material choice. The gate of an English garden is very important and hence its design can make the garden to be unusually attractive. The way plants are designed at the gate can result in softening of the English garden gate making it more inviting to visitors (Bushnell 21). The hardscapes are made up of non-plant material features of the English garden design. The most popularly used hardscapes in English gardens are made of wood. These hardscapes include pergolas, gazebos and arbours. The hardscapes may also include a short wall to hold soil in place (Eburne, and Taylor 67). The elements are designed to create walkways, which meander through the landscape to provide access to a home and other structures. In most cases, the material chosen for English landscape gardens are gravel and brick (Munroe 71). The English gardens include romantic elements such as small lakes or ponds; long docks on water or bridges; sculptures and imitation ruins. The romantic elements are usually incorporated into the foliage to enhance the garden’s wild look. The principles entrenched in English gardens included enlightened tolerance and provision of space for strollers to enable them experiences themselves as independent and liberated beings (Jekyll 32). The atmosphere created by these gardens was to allow members of the wealthy class to experience themselves as representatives of enlightened natural rights (Munroe 134). It also allowed them to see themselves as rational and proper parvenus in their ability of participating in the genteel life in the country that was initially closed to everyone except the noble. The principle used to design English gardens is that informal and formal styles of gardening can be combined (Bushnell 121). This can involve utilization of a small garden to make a strong and regular framework that can be filled with relaxed, informal and bold planting of different plants. The plants used often include bulbs, perennial flowers and mixed shrubs, which are used to disguise the original plan that is based on formal geometry. The division of the garden determines the framework within which this planting takes place. Even though English gardening has undergone various changes, the theme of a good strong structure, which can allow one to do several things, still leaves on (Jekyll 17). The English gardens attempts to blend the natural landscape that grows on a wild side that is blended with romantic elements. Characteristics English gardens are characterized with meandering and curved lines. They also have a series of informal views or vistas, which are punctuated by focal points, which are in form of classical ruins, temples and benches. The gardens also employ hidden ditch or a ‘ha-ha’ to open up the garden to the surrounding parkland (Bushnell 91). As a result, the parkland is integrated into the garden scheme. Instead of regular flower garden, English garden have lawns that come right up to the house (Quest-Ritson 65). the English gardens also have plants of varying height, shape and colour which are made up of trees, herbs, perennials, vines and shrubs that results in a balanced view and lines of sight. Moreover, the plants chosen depend largely on personal preference. However, regional plants are more prominent in these gardens to enhance naturalistic feel (Munroe 61). In addition, English gardens are characterized by grouping together of flowering plants into smaller clumps instead of drifts in order to create random but not messy appearance. English gardens also prefer roses and herbs because scents are valued in English gardens (Eburne, and Taylor 87). For creation of additional order, English gardens are often enclosed in a hedge or a picket fence. The gardens are also characterized with a strong mix of colours, which evoke emotions Conclusion English gardens architecture and design dates back to 17th century. Some of outstanding contributors to English gardening included Andre Le Notre, Alexander Pope, Richard Addison, William Kent, Charles Bridgeman and Brown Lancelot. English gardening was influenced by French and Italian gardening in addition to Palladian and Chinese architecture. The concept of nature garden that was aimed at creation of enlightened and wealthy experience of nature was employed in English gardening. The main elements in the English garden are gates, hardscapes and material choice. The principles entrenched in English gardens included enlightened tolerance and provision of space for strollers to enable them experiences themselves as independent and liberated beings. The main characteristics of English gardening were integration of formal and informal architecture and design in English gardening. Works Cited Bushnell, Rebecca. Green Desire: Imagining Early Modern English Gardens. London: Cornell University Press, 2003. Jekyll, Gertrude. Roses for English Gardens. London: Read Books Design, 2009. Munroe, Jennifer. Gender and the Garden in Early Modern English Literature. New York: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2008. Eburne, Andrew, and Taylor Richard. How to Read an English Garden. London: Ebury Press, 2006. Quest-Ritson, Charles. The English Garden: A Social History. New York: David R. Godine, 2003. Martin, Peter. The Pleasure Gardens of Virginia: From Jamestown to Jefferson. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press, 2001. Read More