Ireland has some of the most beautiful
gardens in the world, and one of the primary reasons for this is due to the
vast amount of rain the country receives every year, and its mild climate. Gardens
in Ireland come in many different forms, styles, shapes, and sizes. Some
gardens can be found in the form of formal country estates, while others are
quite small, informal, and can be found in suburban plots. Irish garden design
was influenced by many people and countries throughout the ages.
So,
the earliest records of the idea of gardens can be traced back to the times of
the ancient Egyptians. These people had constructed temple compounds which had
a very formal and dominating style of nature and outdoor spaces. There were
also types of gardens that mimicked nature, and were secluded areas where
royalty went to hunt game. In the Persian culture, this garden was referred to
as paridaeza, which just meant a park
enclosure. So from this time point there is already variations in gardens. Both
of these types of gardens continued through history and could be found in
various cultures throughout the world.
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| Artist's rendition of an Egyptian garden, enjoyed by royalty |
Examples include both Greek and Roman culture. The Greeks took the word paridaeza, and took the meaning as a very extravagant place for royalty, which developed into the word paradeisos. This was essentially the root for the meaning of paradise.
After
the Roman Empire collapsed, gardens became less prominent throughout the world.
It’s often assumed that during the dark ages and medieval times, gardens barely
existed. This really is not the case, and the truth of the matter is that there
was actually a medieval style garden that developed out of this time period. It
wasn’t quite as elaborate as Greek and Roman gardens, but it did introduce a
new style of garden into the world. As the Dark Ages came to an end, the
Italian Renaissance garden came into existence. These types of gardens are
characterized as being very large and grand, having a vast amount of plant
material, statues, and most importantly prominent water features.
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| Artist's depiction of a medieval garden, with key feature walls. |
The
French and the Dutch had very formal styles of gardens, which were somewhat adopted
by the English for a fair share of history until about the eighteenth century.
At that point, a more naturalistic approach to nature was desired. Part of the
reason for this may be traced back to prominent figures from Europe traveling
around the world and seeing more diversity in the landscape from Chinese and
Japanese gardens.
Now
let’s put some of this in context. In terms of art historical periods, the neoclassical
period lasted from 1700-1800, and the romantic period lasted from 1700-1900.
These periods did influence garden design and styles. Some of the styles that
came out of these periods include the Augustan, Serpentine, Picturesque, and
Eclectic styles of garden design.
Three
prominent English landscape designers developed within this time frame, and
they were William Kent, Capability Brown, and Humphrey Repton. These three
individuals were in essence mostly responsible for shaping the English Landscape.
This resulted in a very natural appearance, sometimes referred to as
“picturesque”. The Irish were predominately influenced by the English in many
forms, not just garden design, so that picturesque style of landscape could be
found throughout the country. However, the English were not the only influence.
As one travels to different gardens throughout Ireland, it’s evident that there
are very formal, dominating, and symmetrical gardens, which most likely have
their roots in the French culture. There are Japanese and Chinese gardens
within Ireland, and it’s obvious that there was a direct link. Italian style
gardens can be found in Ireland as well with statues, vast amounts of plant
material, and prominent water features.
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| Capability Brown |
 | |||
| William Kent |
 |
| Humphrey Repton |
So
the bottom line of this blog post is that the Irish landscape and the gardens
found within the country are a result of the influences from many different
countries and cultures throughout the course of history.
Sources
and Cites
Chart guide to historic styles of garden design |
GardenVisit.com, the garden landscape guide." Gardenvisit.com - the
Garden Landscape Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.gardenvisit.com/history_theory/garden_landscape_design_articles/historic_design_styles>.
"English Landscape Gardens in the 1700s: The History of
English Garden Design from Classical to Natural Style." Suite101 Popular
Archive | Suite101.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2012.
<http://archive.suite101.com/article.cfm/garden_design/21925>.
"Garden history timeline | GardenVisit.com, the garden
landscape guide." Gardenvisit.com - the Garden Landscape Guide.
N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.gardenvisit.com/history_theory/garden_landscape_design_articles/world/garden_history_timeline>.
Thacker, Christopher. The history of gardens.
Berkeley: University of California Press, 1979. Print.
