The Passionate Gardener

                Gardens have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Now you may think that a silly statement to make since it is more than likely that most children grow up with a garden in their back yard, or at very least have one in a park nearby. But it is the rare child whose mother is so enthralled by plant and garden design that the spent many a weekend of their childhood at plant stores or garden design shops, a large percentage of the books in their library are garden related, and our summer chores were not contained to the house but garden as well. These exposures lead to a certain resentment of plants and gardens present throughout my childhood. I am afraid to admit that my siblings and I would also mock my mother’s passion and excitement because we did not understand how anyone could be so excited about a plant. So when I told my mother that I was going to be taking a garden class she was far to giddy for my comfort level. Nevertheless, I was actually quite excited to learn about the history of gardens through Europe and the ages.  What I did not expect was to discover what it was the inspired my mother’s garden that I had grown up tending and slowly watched take form. Therefore, to choose a garden style in this class that has resonated with me personally is very difficult. However, if I had to choose it would be the Arts and Crafts style. 

                   

 

Renaissance Axis Example: connecting house and garden

Baroque Knot Garden

                    Throughout the semester I noticed the axis through the garden that has been present since the first organized garden of the ancient Egyptians. I noticed how the Renaissance connected the house and the garden with this main axis. I had seen hints of a small section in my mother’s garden in the knot gardens of the Baroque style which she used for the outline of her herb garden. But none of these really “screamed” the garden style that I was used to like that of the Arts and Crafts style, notably, the style of Gertrude Jekyll. Her lush flower boarders dictated by color theory took me back to my garden at home where there are sections during the spring and summer where I cannot see the dirt due to the thick planting. However, my connection to her work was only strengthened by her partnership with Edward Lutyens. Through their combined design the house and the garden flowed together. There was often axis from the house connecting the two. Lutyens often created a very formal geometric framework in the garden which Jekyll filled with plants and flowers to create lushness. Within the formal design there was an exuberance and abundance of planting. It was wonderful for me to see the root of the garden design that I love so much. When I asked my Mom what designer had inspired her she told me about Penelope Hobhouse. I had never heard of her, but after looking at some of her designs I cannot help but believe that she too was inspired by Jekyll and Lutyen’s garden designs.

Hobhouse Design

Hobhouse Design

Sources:

http://thegallopinggardener.blogspot.dk/2009/09/wonderful-welsh-gardens-aberglasney.html

http://www.gardenvisit.com/history_theory/books_reviews/andrew_wilson

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http://fineartamerica.com/featured/italian-renaissance-garden-j-lai.html