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. 

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. 

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.  

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.