About Gardening -History and Styles-: October 2013

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

#3 The History of Gardening

A vision of forest gardening

Gardening began as “forest gardening” in monsoon areas in prehistoric times. It is a food production system and way to preserve some useful plant for later. As time was passed, some wealthy people in Egypt began to make beautiful gardens. By the way, the modern words of “garden” or “yard” came from old English word “geard”, which means fence or enclosure.

In Egyptian tombs from 1500 BCE, there are paintings of symmetrical trees. It is said the evidence of gardening's being existed in ancient times. One of the most famous gardens in ancient times is “the Hanging Gardens of Babylon”. Then, there are some literatures about it but no firm evidences of its existence. So, it is said one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Gardens became more popular status for high classes of ancient Egyptians as larger garden he or she has, bigger wealth he or she has.

A painting of the ancient tomb

As into Middle Ages, gardening spread into west, Greeks, Spain, Britain, etc. In addition, aesthetic theme of gardens, which was a main purposes of gardening in ancient times, were declined. Instead of it, European started on growing useful plant, medical herbs or plants for decorating church. By the 13^th century, the rich of European began to make gardens for make vegetables and medical herbs. Gardens in the 14th and 15^th century are closer to modern gardens; they work on planting lawns and making flowerbed. In the 16^th and next century, there appeared symmetric gardens. It seems trees in the garden are formed by humans or gardens are divided into blocks by hedge. Even today, the opposition of ‘symmetrical’ and ‘asymmetrical’ gardens is continued; The Garden of Cosmic Speculation, that is I showed before, is ‘symmetric’ garden and most of tropical gardens are ‘asymmetric’ ones. Then, in 18^th century, asymmetric gardens; gardens without walls, sometimes with lakes (English gardens generally have lakes), or small livers.
Lastly, I’ll show you some styles of traditional gardens in brief. Japanese gardens are intended to remind natural landscapes. Most of them are intended to see from insides of houses (Japanese traditional houses are so opened to see around). Mesopotamian gardens have so long histories but there’re many mysteries. The Hanging Garden of Babylon and Garden of Eden are some example of them. To say European gardens, they are very different among each era. But in modern times, I said before, ‘symmetric’ and ’asymmetric’ are great theme of them.

The history of the European gardens

Above: a symmetrical garden. Below: an asymmetrical garden

references

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

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

http://www.pcc-gardendesign.net/lesson-F-history/F-garden-history.htm and related pages

photos from:

http://www.earth-ways.co.uk/resources/what-is-forest-gardening/#.UnEYavmpWRY

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

http://www.luxurytraveler.com/gardens_of_gothenburg.htm

http://designawards.wordpress.com/2006/10/

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

#2 The Styles

There’re many styles of gardens, for instance, gardens for individuals, for public, vegetable garden etc.

First, I’ll talk about personal gardens. To say gardening, most of people may imagine it. The activity of it is to plant some flowers or trees in your garden and to take care of them. Indoor gardening and wall gardening are one of the styles of gardening for houses without gardens. Indoor gardening is, as its name suggests, glowing houseplants indoors. It can color your room and it is said that these plants have an effect to clear the air of these rooms. Wall gardening is to glow plants with hanging baskets on the outer wall of the house, fence and so on. This needs light soil not to these baskets fallen. In addition, vegetable gardens are very helpful in getting reliable vegetables cheaper. It is possible to cultivate vegetables without chemicals.

Second, public gardens are far different from personal one as I said in the last week. Then, “garden” and “botanical garden” are quite different from others. “Garden” is an institution for ordinary people only to enjoy landscapes of flowers and trees. “Botanical garden” seems it is a part of facilities for research, and then some part of the foundation is opened to the public. It is said the first modern botanical garden is “Orto botanico di Pisa” (Italy, 1543). Some of these gardens place importance on education and put scientific library.

Scoops are one of the most important tools, needless to say, without them, we can’t plant flowers. Watering cans are another key implement for gardening. To use watering cans in smaller gardens and hoses in larger gardens is efficient. It may good to use sprayer indoors. When you buy scissors or shears, check the power of springs and shape of grips. It can lighten your tiredness with work on gardening that tools suit for you.

Final, I’ll show you some types of plants. Foliage plants are mainly put indoors. But they can be seen in tropical gardens. Lawns are not so outstanding but very effective to make the garden more beautiful. It is good to exhibit flowers that taller plants are back and shorter plants are front. Shrubs and tall trees can make levels and give gardens some accents. If the walls look bare, baskets or ivy is good to decorate them. Herbs look good and are useful. They can grow in the same soils to flowers.

references

http://allabout.co.jp/gm/gc/31892/ (and related pages)

mypedia (a Japanese encyclopedia)

wikipedia

a photo from

http://www.vizimac.com/how-to-make-beautiful-hanging-basket-plants/

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

#1 What Gardening Is

Gardening is an activity of working in a garden. Little more detailed, growing some flowers or trees, cutting a lawn and raising vegetables are activities of it. In other words, gardening is to enjoy caring garden. Actually, gardening began as “forest gardening” in prehistoric times; I’ll give you further information about it in the third article. Then, why do people enjoy making their garden? The answer is depends on individuals. But many of those who enjoy gardening think flowers and trees are beautiful, maybe others cultivate their own vegetables only for eating. The most interesting point is there are no same gardens at all as well as no plants have same shape. So atmosphere of each garden rely on the gardener’s sense and skill to make it. Those who like red may use many red flowers or who like green may use plants with a lot of leaves.

Plants are living and gardening is a activity to take care lives. Good soil is one of the most important things to glow great plants because it thinks of a house and meal for every plant. Good soil seems it has proper drainage, nutrition, ventilation and water holding property. In addition, these balances depend on the kind of plants. For example, most kind of plants need some fertilizer to be better but cactuses can glow with less amounts of them (much fertilizer can give them bad effect). Other factors to make good view of garden are sunshine and climates. Where flowers cannot get enough sunlight is bad place to grow them, of course. Plants from tropical areas cannot glow well in cold climates. When it comes to cultivate any vegetables, these influence become more conspicuous. Bad surroundings make their fruits smaller and less tasteful. Thus it is required of good gardeners a lot of knowledge.

As you know, there’re gardens not only for individuals but also for public. Most of public gardens are artistic and have themes like tropical, wildlife, Japanese etc. Those who make such garden are sometimes called “landscape architect”. A picture below (picture 1) is one of a famous garden named The Garden of Cosmic Speculation. It looks far larger scale than individuals’. Activities to make that garden are for landscape architect than gardeners. In these large public gardens, it is seen that much differences among each cultures. Here are two pictures of Japanese and tropical garden. As you can see, gardens can introduce their cultures.