Historical Contexts Flashcards
What are the 7 garden styles?
- Renaissance gardens
- Landscape style
- Picturesque style
- Gardenesque style
- Arts and Crafts gardens
- The wild garden (Cpttage)
- Modern garden styles.
Describe the key characteristics of a Renaissance Garden, name TWO examples.
a. KEY CHARACTERISTICS:
i. Highly geometric knot gardens with a great range of plants.
ii. Greater degree of formality
iii. Raised areas as in Mounts for viewing afar
iv. Clipped low growing hedging of Buxus sempervirens
v. Aesthetically pleasing to view, not just medicinal plantings
b. EXAMPLES:
i. Old Palace, Hatfield House, Herts.
ii. Moseley Old Hall, Staffs.
If you saw an historic garden with a series of ‘rooms’, a raised pool and animal or bird shaped topiary, and with a strong focus on using local materials; what type of garden style might this be? Give examples of famous gardens designed in this style.
a. ARTS AND CRAFT GARDEN - William Morris 1840’s
b. EXAMPLES: Sissinghurst, Kent, Coleton FIshacre, Devon or Hidcote, Glos.
You are the head gardener at a large historic garden and have discovered disease in your avenue of trees – what actions might you take?
a. First, I would review the style of the landscape against the row of trees to make sure it actually fits the overall look/feel of the property.
b. I would check the soil to be sure that whatever choice I made, the plant/tree would be suitable in that area.
c. Are these trees appropriate? Should they be changed to fit the garden style?
d. If they are diseased, I would question whether they should be removed completely and something else happen to the area or replace with suitable sized trees
e. Would saplings be better?
f. I would consider the cost for whatever choice I made – based on staffing & maintenance
g. I would also consider the sustainability of my choice; is this option providing a good level of biodiversity; what will be the carbon footprint of travel for delivery of trees and can I get these plants locally so they are already adapted to the area and most likely free of new pests that could become a problem. I would also be sure to check with the nurseries as to what sustainable practices they have AND that all plants have received their plant passports.
How can you see the history of a property through the garden design?
a. Each garden reflects the social and economic time period in which it was designed. Garden designs were determined by cost, social conventions, motivations and personal choices.
b. During medieval times, all gardens were designed for their practical usage. Medicinal physic gardens, orchards, raised water beds preventing water logging and relaxed meandering areas were important.
c. During the Tudor/Renaissance periods gardens became more formal, highly geometric and aesthetically pleasing.
d. During the 18th century, Capability Brown – “Lost Landscape” became popular as people wanted to bring the Grand Tour back home. They added follies, ha-has and pergolas. There will be no formal beds, just sweeping beautiful scenery with water features that look like lakes.
e. By knowing the features of the different design periods, you can assess the time period in which the garden was designed and the property history.
Describe THREE ways you might make temporary bedding in a large historic garden more sustainable.
a. Use herbaceous perennials rather than annuals.
b. Try to incorporate native, drought tolerant plants.
c. Consider soil and water needs when planting and consider using a water butt.
a. ✔ these are all very good points to raise. Expand them further to make them really strong answers.
What might you include in a Biodiversity Action Plan for an historic garden?
a. Consider plants that are “right plant, right place”
b. Be sure to check the soil conditions
c. Consider using drought tolerant plants when replanting
d. Replace annuals with herbaceous perennials to cut costs
e. Provide year-round pollinator plants
f. Be sure to leave areas for winter habitats for birds etc.
g. If replacing any hedging, consider using plants that will support wildlife during the winter with berries, nesting habitats and security.
h. Incorporate water saving devices like water butts
i. Incorporate mulch or compost to help maintain water in the soil.
j. If purchasing plants, try to purchase from local, sustainable nurseries that you have previously reviewed.
k. Be sure all plants brought to the property have undergone a thorough check and if Buxus sempervirens is used, quarantine it for a few weeks to be sure it has no diseases.
l. Incorporate the use of IPM (integrated pest management) to eliminate (or at least reduce) the amount of pesticides used on the property.
Describe ONE aspect of a named historic style of garden that is no longer popular due to changes in attitudes towards biodiversity.
a. 18th century – English Landscape Style with the long sweeping lawns is no longer in fashion. Taking care of lawns has become something not appreciated due to the use of water, lack of biodiversity, the amount of fertilizer and pesticides to keep the lawn free of weeds.
b. Lawns are being replaced with meadows full of native flowers for pollinators, weeds are permitted and instead of weekly mowing it happens twice per year just to clear the area for the season.
Describe ONE aspect of a named historic style of garden that has been adapted to reflect modern attitudes toward the environment.
a. Arts and Crafts movement of the 19th century. The idea of using local materials, local and native plantings and incorporating local artists’ work is highly desirable today.
b. The idea of using and purchasing local materials, including plants, has become a mainstay of the environmental attitudes of our era. Reducing the carbon footprint in all aspects of life will help towards our CO2 emissions and climate change.
Describe the Medieval garden style.
Middle ages 500-1400
1. Dominated by monasteries and manor houses
2. Relaxed, less formal
3. Loose garden boundaries
4. Made of hedges /wattles (hazel or Salix - willow)
5. Dovecotes
6. Meandering (flowery meadows as lawns)
7. Physic Gardens had regimented beds with key family groups; apothecary for research and Dev.
8. Trellis covered walkways
9. Slightly raise beds for waterlogging
Turf seats
10. EVERYTHING had a use apple orchards for fruit and grass for livestock.
EXAMPLES:
(Chelsea Physic Garden)
Avebury Manor, Wilts
Michelham Priory, E. Sussex
Describe a Tudor/Renaissance Garden
- 1500-1600
- Influenced by Renaissance
- Greater range of plants used
- Greater desire for formality
- Highly geometric, usually edged with low clipped hedging (box)
- Knot Gardens
- Interwined gardens with aesthetically pleasing plants.
- Mounts (raised areas) to see beyond - Deer parks etc.
EXAMPLES:
Old Palace, Hatfield House, HERTS
Moseley Old Hall, Staffs
General definition of an English style landscape garden
English style of landscaping will have key hard landscape features such as a gothic temple, hermitage or a ha-ha. No formal beds and borders such as the earlier gardens of Tudor periods.
What is a ha-ha
Key feature of sunken hardscape.
a retaining wall that is invisible providing an uninterupted view beyond.
Like an infinity pool.
Sometimes done to keep livestock and human separate.
What is a rill?
Formal channel of water used to bring water to an area.
Describe the Arts and Crafts Garden style
- 1840’s
- William Morris influenced
- Open, untamed landscape
- Series of rooms
- Increased use of topiary’s but in a fun way (birds etc - possibly shaped from various box hedges)
- Raised pools or irregular shaped water feature or a narrow rill.
7.Sweeping lawns banked with beds/borders and series of rooms. - Soft and hard landscape well balanced
- Local materials and local and native planting.
- Extolling virtues of local artisans of the area – artwork in gardens.
EXAMPLES:
Coleton Fishacre, Devon
Sissinghurst,
Hidcote,
7.
