GARDEN DESIGN DIPLOMA COURSE ASSIGNMENT ONE INTRODUCTION TUTOR TALK: The Learning Outcomes for this assignment are: • Identify famous Garden Designers, both British and American, who have influenced history and style TUTOR TALK: Professional garden design is something that is inspirational. A worthwhile composition is inevitably simple and invariably unique, being tailored to a specific set of criteria, that in turn is governed by the advantages and limitations of the basic site. Garden design is essentially solving the various logistical problems associated with what you have to work with, where to position such items as pathways, swimming pools, tennis courts, water features, flower beds and which plants would be most suited. Good garden design adds these ingredients to create a style in keeping with the site, the house and your client’s requirements. The whole process of design begins long before you put pen to paper. Your initial job is to find out just what you have and then what you want to achieve based on this initial fact finding. Once this basic analysis is completed, you can then move on to the fun job of preparing the design. However, before we move on to this it is important to look at the historical influences that have taken place over the years to increase your comprehension of how things evolved. Garden Design Diploma Course – Assignment One – Page 1 HISTORICAL GARDEN DESIGN INFLUENCES Gardening styles date back as far as the ancient civilisations of Egypt, Greece and Rome. In this lesson we will discuss the history of garden design and how garden designs of yesteryear influence today. In Ancient Egypt (4000BC-500BC) house and garden were geometrically arranged according to irrigation needs which resulted in a very formal planting pattern and style. In ancient Greece (700BC-136BC) every garden had a use which related strongly to the building or structure to which it was connected. Courtyard gardens were popular spaces for growing culinary and medicinal plants. In addition, olives, fruit trees and vegetables grew on adjacent terraces. In ancient Rome (510BC-476AD) square and oblong colonnaded plots with fountains, pools and pergolas adorned with vines and roses were an essential part of the house itself, serving as a room in the open air for much of the year. In Norman times, castles were built wherever they went. Unlike the Romans with their forts, which were occupied by troops, Norman castles were social and residential centres inhabited by families. The classic Norman castle is known as a molte-and-bailey, molte meaning a mound forming the site of a defensive camp, bailey being the outer wall of the castle and courtyard enclosed by this. In times of war the inhabitants would take refuge in the bailey. In times of peace, the women residents would use the space for gardening. Around the seventh and eighth century a new type of Islamic architecture and landscape evolved. Beginning in Arabia and spreading as far as the Islamic faith, it expanded to Persia, India and Spain. The Islamic garden, also called the oasis or paradise garden, is an embodiment of Islamic ideals and local traditions and varies according to historical and geographical context. During the fifteen, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the Renaissance had a significant impact and a new way of thinking while making the transition from the medieval to the modern world. Beginning in Italy in the fourteenth century this movement spread throughout Europe. Italian design emphasised defined spaces, outward views, and gardens were designed for pleasure. The French were influenced by the Italians, but developed their own style through the use of elaborate water and plant designs. Both the French and Italians influenced England, though by the end of the eighteenth century they had revolutionised the garden style with the introduction of the flower garden. This influence set the standard for the private gardens we know today. FAMOUS GARDEN DESIGNERS Here is a list of some of the famous gardeners and garden designers whom you will have to be aware of in your understanding of garden history and style. This list is a random choice of mainly renowned British gardeners from the end of the seventeenth century. Garden Design Diploma Course – Assignment One – Page 2 Brown, Lancelot (1716-1783) known as “Capability”: Born in Northumberland. A properly trained horticulturist started his working life in the kitchen garden of Stowe where he stayed 11 years influencing the beginnings of the new landscape style. Eventually became Royal Gardener to George III by 1764. Crowe, (Dame) Sylvia (1901-1998): A farming childhood in Sussex, always wanted to be a garden designer but took a course in horticulture before working in an architect’s office on garden designs. After the WWII set up in practice as consultant in the designing of new towns (Harlow and Basildon and also Warrington and Washington) and in the sitting of power stations and power lines. In 1964 was appointed to work with the Forestry Commission. Pioneered the modern interpretation of Landscape Planner. Farrer, Reginald (1880-1920): Born in Yorkshire, educated at home but later went to Oxford. By 14 had redesigned and built the rockery for his parents and at college built the rockery for St. John’s College. After university he travelled to Japan and adopted the Buddhist religion. In 1914 went on his first plant hunting expedition to Western China and died in 1920 on expedition. Wrote the massive The English Rock Garden published in 1919. Jekyll, Gertrude (1843-1932): Born in London and lived most of her life in Surrey, was an artist and embroiderer who, due to failing eyesight, changed emphasis to become arguably the most well- known garden designer of the 20th century. Famous for her plantspersonship and sense of colour and plant arrangement, especially in the use of herbaceous borders. Jellicoe, Geoffrey (1900-1994): Landscape architect famous for his writings about garden history (researched with his wife Susan) as much as his design works. Worked on private gardens and public parks (Hemel Hempstead) and designed many war memorials. Kent, William (1685 approx.-1748): Architect and landscape designer. By 1735 had become Master Mason, and Deputy Surveyor General by 1737. Seen as responsible for the Palladian Movement and became a friend of Alexander Pope, his masterwork is usually regarded as Rousham but also worked at Stowe. Le Notre (1613-1700): The greatest name in French Renaissance garden planning. Worked for Louis XIV’s finance minister at Vaux le Vicomte but later for the King on the estate of Versailles even as an old man directing 35,000 labourers on the site from a wheelchair. Trained many subsequent generations of British garden designers. London, George (1681 approx.-1714): Went to France to study horticulture under Le Notre. Set up in 1681 the 100 acre nursery at Brompton Park which he later partnered with Henry Wise, supplying plants for nearly all the great houses all over England. Garden Design Diploma Course – Assignment One – Page 3 Lorraine, Claude (1600-1682): A French landscape painter of the Arcadian Movement. His landscapes contain the elements that influenced the English Landscape Movement initiated by Bridgeman and Kent and developed further by Brown. Reintroduction of classicism and the peppering of the landscape with follies and ruins is due to his work. Loudon, John Claudius (1783-1843): At 14 went to work in an Edinburgh nursery where he specialised in arboriculture. In spite of having only one useful arm he established two model farms, pioneered the idea of agricultural colleges, and worked to improve public parks. In 1822 he wrote the famous Encyclopaedia of Gardening and the eight volume Arboretum and Fruticetum Brittanicum in 1838. Lutyen, (Sir) Edwin (1869-1944): Principally an architect, he studied under Peto, his fame principally derived from the time of his partnership with Gertrude Jekyll in creating the great country house gardens of the Edwardian period. His theory that the house should have an effect on the garden and vice versa so there was an integration of style was very successful. He designed the hard, and Jekyll the soft landscaping in these schemes. Mollet, Claude: Author in 1652 of Theatre de Plans et Jardinage, he was particularly concerned with scale and proportion in the garden plan. He was adamant that perspective was something which could be arranged, particularly when laying out water features. He became First Gardener to Henry IV and worked at Fontainebleau. Paxton, (Sir) Joseph (1803-1865): In 1823 moved to work at the newly opened gardens of the Horticultural Society near Chiswick House, but two years later to Chatsworth. Between 1835 and 1844 his output was amazing at Chatsworth in waterworks and glasshouses, and in 1851 the Great Exhibition building. Peto, Harold (1854-1933): Architect and garden designer in the classical Italianate style. His principle was that the garden buildings and ornamentation were more important than the plants. He designed several wonderful water gardens, notably Buscot Park. His own house Iford Manor, near Bradford on Avon, is a good example of his theories. Price, (Sir) Uvedale (1747-1829): One of the main protagonists of the new Picturesque movement which followed the Landscape movement. His book Essays on the Picturesque written in 1794 developed his theories. Repton, Humphrey (1725-1808): The last of the famous names of the Landscape movement and the transitional phase to the early Victorian period. Started his career as a landscape designer. He is famous for his Red Books which showed sketches representing the before and after. Widely travelled he made suggestions for redesigning on many of the great houses of the time over a period of thirty years. Garden Design Diploma Course – Assignment One – Page 4 Robinson, William (1838-1935): Irish by birth and education, apprenticed as a gardener boy, later went to the Botanic Gardens at Glashnevin at 21 and later at Regents Park Botanics.