Article Surfing Archive

In the modern times throughout the world, gardening is a pleasant hobby, a favorite way to express a skill and a form of art itself. The benefits that individuals and communities gain from gardening have been widely known and advocated.

Certainly, though, it didn't start a few years ago. Let's take a trip back in the earliest times as we trot the entire globe to discover the evolution of gardening.

Traces of interest in gardening can be found way back in the 1500 B.C., where ornamental gardens were found in tomb paintings in Egypt. The Egyptians fondness in lotus ponds, acacias and palms were prominent in the paintings. The Egyptian royalty is seen as among the most instrumental civilizations that contributed to the development of the concept of garden, essentially of garden design and actualization.

The world's famed gardens were creations as early as in the Ancient East such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the paradise gardens in Persia and the Assyrian hunting- enclosed orchards. The gardening influence of Persia sailed itself toward the 350 B.C., post-Alexander era in Greece, where gardens were created in the Academy of Athens. Alexandria, Rome and Pompeii were also prominent garden builders and developers. The most affluent Romans created colossal gardens. The remnants of these enormous gardens, such as the ruins of Hadrian's Villa, have become reminiscent of the era that remains to be part of our present world.

The 4th century advancements of gardens were evident, such as in the Moorish Spain and Byzantium gardens. On the other side of the world, a separate tradition in gardening arose in China, which was later passed on to the Japanese, who urbanized gardening into aristocratic landscapes in miniature sizes, surrounded by ponds. From these, the Zen temple gardens in Japan came about.

Meanwhile, 13th-century Europe gave rise to the Italian villa gardens. Parterres in France were seen around the end of the 16th century. The Dutch, who provided an offshoot of the French garden style, were advocated with more flower bulbs, water, topiary and trees in tubs, and topiary, as evident in the Westbury Court.

In the 18th, England's landscape gardens stirred new perspectives. Some garden historians look at the 18th century as a significant turnaround from the prevailing "formality" in the Renaissance Period to a "natural" perspective. Art patron Lord Burlington is credited as a key mover of the more natural style in England. Other famed peddlers of this perspective include William Kent who designed and integrated heavily calculated, elaborate vistas to statues, temples and ornaments in various English parklands.

Cottage-inspired gardening was prominent in the 19th century, known mostly for its romantic creativity. Flower gardens were dominant for homes during the 20th century.

Thereafter, gardening progressed into city development and planning. Looking around will tell you that gardens are commonly incorporated in city structures and town landscapes.

Gardens around you, great or small, formal or informal, private or public, echo their creators' passion for growing greens or for beautiful landscaping and ornament purposes, or simply to mirror their artistic side.

So go ahead, explore gardening. Looking at how gardening evolved, the ways and styles to it are infinite!