TYPES OF GARDENS

LANDSCAPE
AR – 405

SUBMITTED BY
RAZIA AKHTAR
B. ARCH IVTH YR DAY
 CHINESE GARDEN
The Chinese garden is a landscape garden style which has evolved over three thousand years. It
includes both the vast gardens of the Chinese emperors and members of the imperial family, built
for pleasure and to impress, and the more intimate gardens created by scholars, poets, former
government officials, soldiers and merchants, made for reflection and escape from the outside
world. They create an idealized miniature landscape, which is meant to express the harmony that
should exist between man and nature.

Figure 1 Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai (created in 1559) shows all the elements of a classical Chinese garden – water,
architecture, vegetation, and rocks.

The Chinese consider gardens a serious art form and as with painting, sculpture and poetry aim to
attain in their design the balance, harmony, proportion and variety that are considered essential.

The art of the Chinese garden is closely related to Chinese landscape painting. it is not a literal
imitation of a natural landscape, but the capturing of its essence and spirit. It is a landscape painting
in three dimensions.
The garden is created by the human hand, but should appear as if created by heaven.

HISTORY OF CLASSICAL CHINESE GARDEN

The art of Chinese garden has a history of more than 3,000 years. The Records of the Historian, tells
that in the Shang Dynasty, there were special places, called “You” ，for the rulers to enjoy the
beauty of nature.

• After Emperor Qin Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty(221BC-206BC) unified China,

ShanglinGarden was built. It shows that the garden was called „yuan‟.Emperor Wudi of the
 Han Dynasty followed the scale of the Shanglin Garden to build the Taiye Pond in the
Shanglin Garden.
• In the Western Han Dynasty people begun to build private gardens. The development of
classical Chinese garden during the 400 years in the Han Dynasty laid the foundation for the
art of Chinese gardens.
• In the Tang and Song Dynasties, the art of Chinese garden matured. Private gardens in the
Song Dynasty also developed rapidly. The private gardens were mainly built with streams or
hills or all kinds of plants and flowers or halls and pavilions.
• The Ming and Qing Dynasties were the golden age of garden building. In the middle and the
late Ming Dynasty, the artists summed up their experience in designing gardens by writing
articles about gardens, which laid the foundation, in theory, as well as in practice.
• Chinese garden culture matured as a comprehensive school of its own during this period of
time, after the practice of many preceding dynastic periods, and rose to become one of
three garden construction schools along with Western Asia and Europe.

CHARACTERISTICS OF DESIGN
• The creation of classical Chinese gardens depended on mountains, rivers, buildings, plants,
animals and even the weather. In these gardens usually the ground is like that of a mountain
area. This kind of garden layout imitates real terrain. The hills in classical gardens provide
natural surroundings for visitors. Looking at the hills, people feel as if they live in a
mountains area and enjoy the beauty and stillness of nature.
• In the Chinese garden, the garden scenes are concealed inside different scenic sections,
thus, they only can be revealed in sequence along the paths.
• The paths in a Chinese garden are usually constructed with varying widths or paved with
different pavement materials to give the beholders the different senses of experience:
constriction, roughness, release, and smoothness.
• The scenic spots in the private Chinese gardens are built for static and dynamic viewing, and
lingering observation.
• Thus, a scene in a private Chinese garden was designed for viewing from a number of
observation points and angles.
• Every scenic section should have its own landscape character, but the garden as whole must
be unified under a central theme.
• Walls were the most common means of demarcating one spatial segment from another.
 SOURCE: THE GARDEN OF ARCHITECTURE, BY TOSHIRO INAJI

ELEMENTS OF CHINESE GARDEN

There 6 main elements of a Chinese Garden:

a. Rocks
b. Water
c. Vegetation
d. Pathways
e. Bridges
f. Garden Structures

ROCKS
• The stone loving of the Chinese stems from the magical views of the Chinese five holy
mountains, which seems to have played an important role in the Taoist anchoretism.
• Rock was valued for its bumps, furrows and hollows, and for the colour and texture of its
surface.
• In Chinese gardens, artificial mountains are also function as space-dividing structural
components.
 • The sculptural Taihu rock is especially prized because it represents wisdom and immortality,
and is only procurable from Tai Lake, just west of Suzhou.
• The Chinese word for landscape, shan shui, literally means "mountains and waters” while a
common phrase for making a garden means "digging ponds and piling mountains".

WATER
• Mountains and water complement each other in the Chinese arts.
• Water serves as peaceful opposition and balance to mountain scenery, and is regarded as
the absolutely necessary element to represent the totality of nature in perfect harmony.
• Water was also used for providing listening satisfaction in the Chinese private gardens.
• Watercourses were never shaped into any unnatural geometrical patterns in the Chinese
private garden. A water fountain is never found in the private Chinese garden.
• Physically water absorbs the heat and adjust the microclimate during the warm seasons.

The Lingering Garden in Suzhou (1593) Garden of Cultivation (1541)

VEGETATION

• Trees and flowers, especially in private gardens, are carefully selected for the overall layout
of the gardens, because of the limited space.
• Unlike other gardens, Chinese gardens incorporate minimal variety of plants and trees in a
single garden.
• Everything in a Chinese garden seems to have an inner meaning, including the plants.
• Trees and shrubs are planted in more naturalistic arrangements- perhaps in pure stands or in
association with a special rock.
• Sparse plantings of seasonal flowers are scattered about but will never be found in
geometric arrangements- again the objective is to achieve a stylized, naturalistic feel.
• Western gardens tend to have a profusion of plantings whereas the Chinese garden style is
more minimal.
• Lawn is used least in the private Chinese garden, for its beauty is best perceived with
inexhaustible sight ranges, and contradicts the private Chinese garden design principle of
avoiding total exposure of everything at a glance.

PATHWAYS
• Paths are constructed to accentuate the changing scenes and views into
the garden and beyond.
• Paths in Chinese gardens are often uneven and zigzag.
• The paths are like the passages of a human life. There is always
something new or different when seen from a different angle, while the
future is unknown and unpredictable.
• Paths may also link to the beauty of scroll paintings where the landscape
is revealed not in one hit but in a succession of views.
• The path may be covered in stone, pebbles or tiles. Or it might be swept
clean and interspersed with patches of moss or other low ground
covers.
BRIDGES

• The bridge connects the two different vistas in

the Chinese garden.
• These are also constructed as a symbol of
contrast against the moving water.
• The half-moon cavity under the bridge, which
gets completed after the reflection on the
water surface follows the principle of harmony
and balance.

GARDEN STRUCTURES

• Among the most ground are walkways,

pavilions, and bridges.
• Timber frame construction plays a decisive role
here.
• Pavilion-like houses have neither a harsh nor
dominant effect, but rather bend effortlessly
into their general surroundings.
• More specifically, we can divide the structures
in classical Chinese gardens into the following:
Lobby, Corridor, Parlour, Waterside Kiosk,
Storied Chamber, Bridge, Storied Pavilion,
Pagoda, Kiosk, and Wall.
 Famous Gardens
Beihai Garden
• Beihai Park was initially built in the 10th Century.
• It is amongst the largest of Chinese gardens and contains
numerous historically important structures, palaces and
temples.
• The structures and scenes in the Beihai Park are described as
masterpieces of gardening technique that reflects the style
and the superb architectural skill and richness of traditional
Chinese garden art.

The Humble Administrator’s Garden

• Covering 51,950 sq. m, the Humble
Administrator's Garden is the largest of all
classical gardens in Suzhou.
• It is centred upon the broad expanse of a lake,
making up about one fifth of the total area.
• With well-spaced buildings, the garden
landscape and waterscape are simple,
extensive and natural, possessing the
traditional appearances of the Ming Dynasty.
• It is divided into three parts; the eastern,
middle and western parts.
• The house lies in the south of the garden.

Summer Palace
• The Summer Palace, located approximately twelve kilometres to the northwest of Beijing's
city proper, was first built in 1750 and rebuilt in 1886.
• An outstanding example of imperial gardens in classical Chinese style, the Summer Palace
spreads on an area of 2.9 million square meter, three fourths of which are water surfaces.
• Its major attractions are the Wanshou (longevity) Hill and the Kunming (Jade Spring) Lake.
• The garden is a showcase of pavilions in diversified, exotic designs which are strung together
by a corridor more than seven hundred meter in length and a seemingly unending chain of
balustrades of snow-white marble.
• With western hills simmering in the background, the Summer Palace is strewn with postcard
perfect sceneries, including the Yuquan (Jade Spring) Pagoda, the Kunming Lake, and the
bridge with seventeen arches.
• The huge garden's artistic style, which is at once kaleidoscopic and harmonious, is
attributable to the unknown designers' ingenious landscaping skills.
 JAPANESE GARDEN
Japanese gardens combine elements of nature - plants, water and rocks - into a tranquil
setting conducive to meditation. The result is often a magical setting alight with visual
poetry, and punctuated by symbolism.

Japanese gardens demonstrate the Buddhist influences that were brought into Japan in 612;
Ono-no-Imoko, an emissary from Japan, visited China and was able to absorb enough of the
Buddhist way of life to recreate it once he returned home. At this time, gardens in Japan
were solely created as religious representations of various beliefs - which established a
comfortable common ground with the Chinese Buddhists.

Every element of a Buddhist garden bursts with religious significance; pathways lead to
enlightenment, whilst the soil represents the fertility and nurturing nature of Buddha's
mind. Nonetheless, whilst some of the Buddhist ideas were adopted in Japan, it was not to
be at the expense of the ancient Japanese religion, Shinto.

It has always been firmly believed that the two religions, Shinto and Buddhism, are able to
coexist in harmony; rather than separate each other the two religious intertwine. This fusion
of religion has been widely demonstrated in Japanese culture; reflected within the
foundational design of Japanese gardens.
Brief history of Japanese gardens

It is said that the first formal Japanese garden was created more than 1,000 years ago, during a time
when lush, ornate gardens were popular and many were built by those in power. The art of garden
making was probably imported into Japan from China or Korea. Records show that the imperial
palaces had gardens by the 5th century CE, their chief characteristic being a pond with an islet
connected to the shore by bridges—as is shown by later references to these precedents in Emperor
Shōmu’s (724–756) three gardens in Nara.

During the Heian period (794–1185), when the symmetrical shinden style of architecture prevailed,
the main garden was laid out on the southern side of the house. With the change of domestic
architecture in the Kamakura period (1192–1333), however, came modifications of the garden.
Learned Zen priests, who assiduously studied the art of garden making, gave Buddhistic names to
different rocks in the design and linked religio-philosophic principles with landscape lore. Other
beliefs further complicated garden design.

With the Muromachi period (1338–1573) came popularization of gardens, which were designed to
be enjoyed not only as views to contemplate but as microcosms to explore. The subjective mood
became dominant and the gardens reflected individuality. People demanded shibumi in their
gardens—an unassuming quality in which refinement underlies a commonplace appearance,
perceptible only to a cultivated taste. Aesthetic priests, “tea men,” and connoisseurs created new
forms of gardens for cha-shitsu, the little pavilions or rooms built for the chanoyu (tea ceremony),
and a special style developed which revolutionized Japanese garden art.

Later on in time, as visual aesthetic was contemplated through different materials and designs,
plainer gardens were designed, their layouts and selected materials depicting different relationships
with nature.

Types Of Gardens
Japanese gardens are generally classified according to the nature of the terrain, either tsuki-yama
(“artificial hills”) or hira-niwa (“level ground”), each
having particular features. Tsuki-yama consists of hills
and ponds, and hira-niwa consists of flat ground
designed to represent a valley or moor; tsuki-yama
may include a portion laid out as hira-niwa.

Each type may, furthermore, be treated in any one of

the three degrees of elaboration mentioned. Hill
gardens as a rule include a stream and a pond of real
water, but there is a special variation, the kare-sansui
(dried-up landscape) style, in which rocks are composed to suggest a waterfall and its basin and, for
a winding stream or a pond, gravel or sand is used to symbolize water or to suggest seasonally dried-
up terrain.

There are other styles: sen-tei (“water garden”); rin-sen (“forest and water”); and, in level gardens,
bunjin (“literary scholar”), a simple and small style typically integrating bonsai. The tea garden, or
roji (“dewy ground or lane”), is another distinct garden style evolved to meet the requirements of
the tea ceremony. Genkansaki (“front of entrance”) have always claimed special treatment—a
simple curve in the path is used whenever possible, partly to conceal the door to the house and
partly to give character to its front aspect.

Characteristic Features
Japanese gardens are characterized by: the waterfall, of which there are ten or more different
arrangements; the spring and stream to
which it gives rise; the lake; hills, built up
from earth excavated from the basin for the
lake; islands; bridges of many varieties; and
the natural guardian stones. The selection
and effective distribution of the stones are a
prime consideration in garden design. After
endless experiments and deep pondering,
the best and most subtle compositions were
handed down by means of drawings. A
studied irregularity in the arrangement of
stepping stones is a noteworthy feature of
the chanoyu garden, where beauty and use
are combined.

In modern Japanese gardens, flowers are few and

evergreens popular. Simplicity, restraint, and consistency
are sought rather than gaiety, showiness, or the obvious
variations of the seasons. Evergreen foliage is preferred to
the changing aspect of deciduous trees, although maples
and a few others are used. As in the case of stones, trees
must be distributed in the garden in harmony with their
natural origin and habit of growth. Wells, decorative and
useful alike, stone water basins in endless variety, stone
lanterns and figures, pagodas, arbours, and summer
houses are the most characteristic garden furnishings. Together with gateways and fences—
particularly the widely varying sode-gaki (“sleeve fences”) attached to the side of a house to screen
certain portions—these elements harmonize the natural beauty of the garden with the architectural
features of the house.

Ideals And Aims Of Garden Design

During its long history, the ideals of Japanese garden designing have been often modified by the
prevailing thought of each period. At one time, eminent Zen priests designed gardens in accordance
with the principles of their philosophic teaching. At another time, painters became deeply interested
and designed gardens as though they were landscapes painted on silk.

In the course of history, the objective standpoint in garden making gave way to the subjective
impulse. Various philosophic principles and religious doctrines were applied to the making of
gardens, not so much to interpret those principles and doctrines as to rationalize the aesthetics of
garden design. Natural rocks distributed to illustrate familiar philosophic principles and even beliefs
of all sorts still continue to some extent to influence the general design of the garden.

The aim is to bring humanity close to nature and every conceivable means may be employed to
realize it. Some master garden designers represented landscapes of China and Japan in miniature.
They planned the garden and planted trees to give the illusion of the view extending over and
beyond its immediate confines, but at the same time they designed it to be a secluded sylvan
retreat, great ingenuity being displayed in both directions. In some instances, only a few stones in
the narrow strip of ground suffice to suggest a great expanse of landscape, included as background.

Sen Rikyū, in his garden at Sakai, obstructed the open view of the sea so that only when guests
stooped at the stone basin to perform ablutions prior to entering the cha-shitsu did they catch an
unexpected glimpse through the trees of shimmering sea, thus suddenly being made to realize the
relation of the dipperful of water lifted from the basin to the vast expanse of sea and of themselves
to the universe.
Throughout history the Japanese have tried to emphasize in their gardens the charm of restraint;
beauty is so concealed that it may be discovered individually, thus providing a thrill of joy to the soul
like that which comes from doing a good deed in stealth. In its ideal at least, the Japanese garden,
which always has been part of the home, is by no means merely an arrangement of beautiful places.
It aims at satisfying a human craving for the natural and, by supplying peace and repose, at offering a
retreat in which one can find spiritual recreation and sustenance.

The elements of the Japanese Garden

• Water
• Stones
• The Lantern
• Bridges
• Plants
• Carps
WATER
• Water has a place of choice among the components of a Japanese garden.
• It contributes to the expression of nature and symbolizes renewal, calm, wonder and
continuity in the hereafter.
• In a Sansui Japanese garden, that is, one containing elevations, various degrees are provided
so that water can circulate.
• Water is found in many forms. It accumulates in the ponds, runs in the streams or tumbles in
the cascades.
• The clear, circulating water contributes to keeping the air fresh throughout the summer.
• The ponds and the cascades are given a precise orientation with respect to the sun to
determine how it will be reflected by the water.
• Some Japanese legends have compared the hill to an emperor, water to courtiers and the
stones to valiant officers preventing the courtiers (the water) from intervening in the life of
the emperor.

STONES
• Stones are given special attention in Eastern philosophy.
• A symbol of duration and of the omnipresence of the forces of the nature, they anchor the
garden to the ground and give it its specific personality.
• The stones are laid out in accordance with strict rules, depending on their shapes and sizes;
they often are twinned by pairs and by style contrast (a male rock opposed to a female
rock).
• Stones create relief, produce hills and valleys giving birth to cascades, streams and ponds.
• The type of stone to use is one of the most important element, in the design of a Japanese
garden.
• After much searching, designer-architect Ken Nakajima found in the asbestos mines of
Thetford Mines (Québec) the stone he had seeked so much. An extremely rare stone, the
 peridotite, glazed of emerald-green serpentine, was chosen as a base, imparting a very
special character to the garden.

The lantern
• With the advent of the tea ceremony, the lantern became a leading element in the layout of
a Japanese garden.
• Originally intended to guide the visitors during nocturnal celebrations, its light was also
considered as the light of knowledge clearing away the clouds of ignorance.
• Sculptured in stone, the Yukimi-gata lantern, or snow lantern, which we can admire here is
of current use. Placed near water it provides an architectural element which contrasts with
the natural components of the garden.

Bridges
• Bridges are privileged sites in a Japanese garden, where one will linger and take in the
beauty of the landscape, watch the carps swimming in their watery elements, and enjoy the
softness of the breeze.
• Bridges may be built of wood, bamboo, earth or stone. Whether they are rounded, arc-
shaped or in zigzags, they always remain in harmony with the surrounding nature.

Plants
• The Japanese show a natural ability to interpret the charm of plants and flowers in order to
express their joys and pains. Their communion with nature manifests itself through an
elaborate symbolism and that is why their interest for the plant realm has become a real
passion.
• Plants are associated with moving thoughts and the universal forms of life.
• The care given to plants in a Japanese garden is like that given to bonsai trees: living plants
are shaped to the exact form needed fot the symbolic or graphic effect one desires.

Serviceberry (zai-furi boku)

• In spring, the serviceberry is a charming sight, with its masses of white flowers. It is
considered a symbol of youth in Japan.
• In fall, it is remarkable for its gold and scarlet foliage and tiny blue berries.
• Winter is the perfect backdrop for the silvery bark of the serviceberry, whose year-round
attractions make it one of the stars of this garden.

Pine (matsu)
• Our pine trees are pruned regularly, to keep their shapes in harmony with the surroundings.
Some have an airy silhouette with widespread branches, others are dense and compact,
while still others lean over as if battered by the wind.
• The pine grove next to the Pavilion adds to the intimacy of the Garden. It creates a quiet,
cosy screen that shields visitors from outside distractions.

Japanese maple (momiji)

• The Japanese maple is much appreciated for its lacy leaves and magnificent autumn colours,
making it a favourite in Japanese garden design.
• The Japanese maples in this garden are taken indoors when winter comes, and brought back
outdoors in spring, to spare them the rigours of our Montreal winters.
• They are gradually being replaced with Amur maples, a hardier species. The Amur maples
are allowed to grow naturally, without pruning, as is the practice with momiji in Japan.

Lotus (hasu)
• The lotus, or "flower of Buddha", is considered a divine and sacred plant. Resting on the
placid surface of the pond, it is a perfect aid to contemplation.
• The lotus flower, with its lovely, huge corolla, blooms in summer to offer a fleeting vision of
delicate shades of pink and white.
• Unlike the water lily, which floats on the surface, the lotus is supported by a strong stem
anchored in the bottom of the pond.

Iris (airisu)
• Irises are important members of this garden. They flower from late May to mid-July, in soft
tones of pink, blue and white.
• Many species of iris are represented here, including Iris ensata or hana-shobu, remarkable
for its huge flowers. The delicacy and graceful bearing of this plant are perfect examples of
the quest for simple and refined beauty in Japanese art.

Shrub peony (botan)

• Shrub peonies originated in China and were introduced to Japan in the 8th century. They
flower in late spring.
• A huge variety of peony cultivars has been obtained by hybridization. Their flowers, in hues
of pink, mauve and yellow, last only a few days.
• These plants require considerable attention and winter protection. Peonies are a symbol of
prosperity, because at one time only wealthy Japanese could afford to have them in their
gardens.

Horsetail (takusa)
 • This plant is native to Québec and lives in marshy environments. Here it is grown as a
substitute for bamboo, which is often featured in Japanese gardens, but is not hardy enough
to withstand the harsh Montréal winters.
• The horsetail's simple, pure lines make it a clever stand-in for masses of bamboo, allowing
the Garden to preserve its Oriental feeling.
• Horsetail is also frequently used in Japanese floral art, ikebana.

Crabapple (hime-ringo)
• The crab-apple’s abundant white and pink flowers in spring symbolize youth and renewal.
• Here it has been used instead of Japanese cherry, which is not hardy enough to withstand
the extreme temperatures of the Montréal climate.
• In Japan, people celebrate the arrival of spring with annual picnics, ohanami, beneath
flowering cherry trees. We have perpetuated this tradition in Montréal, under the flowering
crabapples in the Japanese Garden.

Rhododendron (tsutsuji)
• In springtime, the Japanese Garden is ablaze with the bright pinks, reds, purples and whites
of rhododendron blossoms. These charming flowers, with their delicate petals, symbolize
fragile and ephemeral beauty.
• In summer, the flowers give way to the waxy and lustrous foliage of certain cultivars. The
use of compact specimens makes it possible to create varying heights and depths, and the
illusion of a miniature mountainous and wooded landscape.
• In Japan, azaleas and their more delicate foliage are preferred to rhododendrons, since they
are more tolerant of pruning.

Carps
• Japan is a country where a large population leaves little land available for flower gardens.
• The Japanese, therefore, have found places to grow living flowers, the coloured carps.
• They appeared in Japan many centuries ago and the Japanese have crossbred them for over
100 years, producing carps of high value. Contests are held and the carps are judged
according to the number of spots, variety of colours, patterns on their bodies and types of
scales.
• Indispensable inhabitants in the pond of any Japanese garden, carp bring a flash of colour to
the shallow waters.
• These "living flowers" are very popular in Japan, and are even entered in competitions,
where they are judged on their colours and patterns and the quality of their scales.
• Carps can live for up to 50 years. In Japanese culture, they are a symbol of strength and
perseverance.
 PERSIAN GARDEN
The Persian Garden refers to a tradition and style of garden design which
originated in Persia and which influenced the design of gardens throughout
the larger region. The origin of Persian gardens may date back as far as 4000
BCE. The decorated pottery of that time displays the typical cross plan of the
Persian garden.

FEATURES
• These gardens are enclosed.
• The main purpose behind building such gardens was to provide relaxation in
different manner such as spiritual, leisurely (e.g. meetings with friends).
• “Pairi daeza” means enclosed space in Persian language.
• This Christian mythology adopted this term to describe the Garden of Eden or
paradise on earth.
• The construction of garden may have an emphasis either on nature or on
structure, however the main thing this garden should allow is maximization of
function.
• The Persian gardens were built as a retreat from the harsh landscape.
• These gardens are followed by modern-day garden, from the sanctuaries and
hunting parks of 5th century B.C., 19th century magical nightingale gardens of
Tehran, etc.
• The Cyrus's garden had a geometrical plan and stone watercourses.
• What really distinguishes
Persian garden from the
gardens of other nations,
however, is the unique and
intricate geometrical design
that governs it. Square and
rectangle are the
predominant shapes. Despite
their precise spacing and
order, Persian gardens still
manage to create a range of
different spaces within their main space by using various natural and man-
made materials that differ in shapes and sizes.
COMMON FEATURES OF PERSIAN GARDEN
• A high surrounding wall.
• Straight tile-lined channels of water.
• Bubbling fountains.
• Trees for shade and fruit.
• A Pavilion or gazebo.
• Strong emphasis on flowers in beds and pots Common features of Persian
gardens.

The Types of PERSIAN Garden

FORMAL:
• HAYAT (Public and Private)
• MAIDAN (Public)
• CHAR BAGH (Private)

CASUAL:
• BAGH (Private)
• PARK (Public)

HAYAT (Public)
Publicly, it is a classical Persian layout with heavy emphasis on aesthetics
over function. Man-made structures in the garden are particularly
important, with arches and pools (which may be used to bathe).
The ground is often covered in gravel flagged with stone. Plantings are
typically very simple - such as a line of trees, which also provide shade.
HAYAT (Private)
Privately, these gardens are often pool-centred and, again, structural. The
pool serves as a focus and source of humidity for the surrounding
atmosphere. There are few plants, often due to the limited water available
in urban areas.

MAIDAN
This is a public, formal garden which emphasizes more on biotic elements
than structure. Here we see bedding plants, trees, shrubs, grasses, etc. In
this garden also the elements like gravel pathways, pools divide the lawns.
The shade providing structures pavilions are also built.

CHAR BAGH
These gardens are formal and private. The garden structure mainly
consists of four quadrants divided by pathways and waterways. This
garden has a balanced structure with proper pathways and greenery or
plants around the periphery of the pool.

PARKS
These are casual parks used for public functions. These are full of various
plants. Here we see pathways and seating but these gardens are limited in
terms of structural elements. The purpose of such gardens is relaxation
and socialization.

BAGH
 Like other casual gardens, it focuses on natural and green aspects of
nature. These gardens are often attached to houses consisting of trees,
lawns and ground plants. It gives less emphasis on waterways and
pathways. The primary aim is familial relaxation.

Natural elements of Persian Landscaping

The important Persian garden elements are sunlight, shade, water, buildings.
These elements provide relaxation in different manners such as spiritual,
leisurely (e.g. meetings with friends) etc. which is the primary aim of Persian
garden which is considered as a paradise on earth. The Persian gardens often
connect internal yard gardens with the surrounding outward gardens.

SUNLIGHT
The important factor to be considered while designing the Persian garden is
sunlight and its effects in the garden. Architects arranged the samples and
forms from the rays of light to restrain the sunlight. The specific textures and
shapes were chosen by the experienced architects to harness the light.

SHADE
Shade is also an important element due to heat of Iran. The Persian gardens
includes trees, shrubs and trellises which work as biotic shades to provide
protection from strong sunrays. In these gardens we can see large number of
big shade trees, fruit and flower trees as well. Walls and pavilions are also
important in blocking the harsh sunrays. Mostly cypress trees are found.

WATER
In desert regions, there are many dry areas beside the many forests, therefore
water comes as the next important element in the Persian garden. The
underground water canals are built on slopes to facilitate either natural or the
artificial flow of water (waterfalls). It is assumed that this style of irrigation is
thousand years old. This style works in the best way and widely used even in
modern gardening styles. For this purpose of moving water around the
surface water systems. Trees are planted in a ditch called a jub, to prevent
water evaporation and allow quick access of water to the tree roots.
BUILDINGS

In many of the Persian gardens, buildings of splendour, brick works and

pavilions are seen. Here we also get to see the different structural designs like
royal palaces, mansions, temples, etc. Iranian architects used to build domes
on square buildings very skilfully. These enhance the beauty of these gardens.
In Persian gardens, beautiful arches were constructed. In front of many
mansions and palaces of these gardens, the water fountains were placed as
the source of cool, peaceful atmosphere and pleasure. The beautiful types of
glasses (e.g. stain glasses) were used for windows and other glass works.

Some Examples of Persian Garden

Fin Garden - Kashan (CHAR BAGH)
It is also called as Bagh-e-Fin located in Kashan, Iran. It is a historical Persian
garden. The garden might have its origin in Safavid period. It was built near
the village of Fin under the reign of Abbas I of Persia (1571- 1629). The area of
garden is 2.3 hectares consisting of a main yard surrounded with four circular
towers. The fin garden is full of water features. There was a spring behind the
garden on the hillside which was the main source of water for this garden. In
 this place the water pressure was such that fountains and pools could easily
be constructed without the use of mechanical pumps. The garden contains
many cypress trees.
The plan is a sophisticated Char Bagh with grids of canals and paths. The
canals are lined with blue-green tiles, a colour which contrasts wonderfully
with the desert outside the garden walls. At Fin, all the channels are lined,
sides and bottom, with blue faience tiles so that the very water seems bright
and gay until it flows into one of the larger pools, lined with great trees.

ERAM Garden - Shiraz (HAYAT)

Built during the middle of nineteenth century by the Ilkhanate or a paramount

chief of the Qashqai tribes of Pars. The original layout of the garden however,
with its quadripartite Persian paradise garden structure was most likely laid in
eighteenth century by the Seljuqs. Over its 150 years the structure has been
modified, restored or stylistically changed by various participants.
 FRENCH GARDEN
French Garden Design, also called Jardin à la Française, is a very formal, very
ordered gardening style with lots of straight lines and symmetry. It is above all
a style created to impress however we can take ideas from this style and use it
to great effect in a domestic garden.
• A central axis leads away from the house - perpendicular to the house.
• Paths tend to be gravel and edged with clipped hedges and topiary laid out in
symmetrical patterns.
• Water is often a key feature of French garden design and lots of round pools
and long rectangles of water will be incorporated, the reflection of the water
adding to the symmetry and tranquillity of the scene. Fountains and cascades
are also very common features.

• Close to the house planting is kept low (no trees) and tends to consist of
parterres. Parterres close to the house can be quite intricately patterned and
will tend to become simpler further from the house.
• Further from the house paths are often edged with trees, these are almost
always manipulated in some way (see below). Trees are always planted in
straight lines adding perspective and reinforcing the symmetry of the garden.
• Statuary is often used in French Garden Design. Pavilions and 'follies' are often
incorporated too.
In the great French formal gardens there is almost always a terrace from where the
garden and its symmetry can be seen from above.
The use of Parterres, or Knot-gardens, In French Garden
Design
Parterres, or knot-gardens, are widely used and generally made up of clipped
box, lavender or rosemary.
The low clipped hedges are laid out in a symmetrical pattern, these can be
quite intricate or as simple as four squares next to each other with a gravel
path separating them. Generally the more intricate patterns will be close to
the house or chateau and simpler patterns further away.
For use in small gardens a simple pattern could be the best choice both for
ease of maintenance (remember your hedging will need cutting twice a year
to keep the hedges the right size and nice and leafy.
At their simplest the parterres can be filled with coloured gravel or sand. Or
they can be filled with bedding plants laid out in formal patterns within the
hedging. Flowers are often a secondary interest in French Garden Design and
can be limited to the use of a limited range of bedding plants inside the
parterres.
Another possibility is to use the formal parterre structure but soften it by
planting with an informal display of plants and flowers. This approach is used
in the parterres of the Chateau du Lude in North West France.

Plants and Trees to use in French Formal Design

Trees

Trees are planted in straight lines and clipped to keep a perfect shape and
size. They may be formed into shapes to form topiary.
 The trees used in the Gardens of Versaille were: hornbeam, beech, chestnut,
elm and linden for the most part. Hornbeam and Beech are easy to prune and
shape making them particularly good trees for formal gardens.

Hedges

The clipped hedges are usually box, lavender, rosemary and occasionally
santoline. Regular trimming to stop them going 'leggy' and 'woody' is
important.

Plants

If you want to recreate a very traditional design then the colours should be
limited to white, pink, blue and mauve as these were the only colours
available in the 17th century when many of the great French Formal gardens
were created. Red, yellow and orange plants weren't brought to Europe until
1730.
Bedding plants and bulbs are popular choices for parterres with for example,
parterres filled with bulbs in formal patterns for spring flowering and then
taken out and replaced with bedding plants for the late-spring and summer.
Nowadays it is possible to fill with a more relaxed scheme as at the Chateau
du Lude or the Jardin Plume which has put a contemporary twist of the Formal
French garden.

Vegetables

Many French Chateax have wonderful vegetable gardens with the vegetables
laid out in patterns and parterres in the style of the ornamental formal
gardens. The results are superb. The best and most famous is at the Chateau
de Villandry which also has some stunning ornamental formal gardens.

History of French Garden Design

French Garden Design, Jardin à la Française, developed from the Italian
Renaissance gardens. The style arrived in France in the 16th century and
included symmetry, parterres and geometrical shapes for planting schemes.
The first important French garden was that at Chateau Vaux-le-Vicompte
where the chateau was designed at the same time as the gardens. Andre le
Notre was commissioned to design the gardens and for the first time the
chateau and the garden were perfectly integrated.
 Andre Le Notre went on to create the extraordinary Gardens of Versaille, the
largest garden in Europe and the most splendid example of French garden
design. The style was copied by nobility throughout France and, indeed, by
some of the large aristocratic buildings of Europe too. Its popularity continued
until the introduction of the English Landscape Garden started the next
garden fashion trend.
Whereas French garden designers saw the garden as an extension of the
architecture and ordered the garden into a series of rooms with walls created
from hedges and stairs from water, the English Landscape gardeners were
inspired by paintings.

Some Examples of French Garden Design in France

Chateau d'Azay le Ferron

The beautiful Chateau d'Azay le Ferron is surrounded by a magnificent park, part

French and part English in inspiration. There are 123 acres in total.
The 'French-style' park has a collection of topiary, considered to be one of the best in
France. The topiaries next to the Cingé wing of the castle are inspired by the pieces
of a chess board. Many of the gardens are designed to be seen from above too and
you get some great views from the windows of the chateau.
The 'English-style' park was designed by the Buhler brothers and has been planted to
have a very natural and tranquil aspect. Planting started in 1856 and so the park is
very mature and filled with beautiful trees. There is a tree-discovery circuit that you
can do to see the wide range of trees in the park. These include cedars, red cedars,
huge sequoias and much more.
In front of the chateaux are some orange trees which date to 1896 and were given to
Martha d'Azay upon her engagement.
As with most French chateaux there is also an impressive vegetable garden and an
orchard. To end the visit there is a rose garden filled entirely with 17th century roses.

Chateau de Versailles
One of the largest gardens ever made the gardens of the Palace of Versailles are laid
out on an enormous scale. The gardens are a superb example of French-Style formal
gardens.
Designed by Le Notre the canals and fountains and water features are a key feature
of the gardens. With 372 statues, 55 water features, 600 fountains and 35km of
canals you can't help but be impressed.

The garden covers 800 hectares which includes 300 hectares of forest and two
'French' gardens, the 'Petit Parc' and the 'Trianon'
This is the formal French-style of gardening at its best. Everything is impeccably kept.
The massive number of topiaries are all clipped into immaculate shapes and the
sheer splendour is amazing. This is a garden that was designed to impress and it
certainly does.
The Chateau de Versailles
Of course whilst you are at the gardens you can't miss a visit to the Chateau de
Versailles which is one of the most important, and beautiful, buildings in France. It is
also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Indeed the gardens were designed to be seen
from inside the Chateau in order to really admire the patterns and symmetry.
The Chateau de Versailles began life as the hunting lodge of Louis XIII but was
massively expanded and transformed by his son Louis XIV who also ordered the
gardens to be designed and laid out. The Hall of Mirrors is perhaps the most famous
of all the rooms in the chateau and is the most ostentatious display of wealth and
power in a chateau built as a showcase of wealth and power.
The French court was moved here in 1682 and stayed until the French Revolution in
1789.

Chateau de Villandry
The Loire Valley is known as the garden of France and the Chateau de Villandry is the
most amazing of all the Loire Valley Gardens.
The gardens at the Chateau are a perfect example of formal gardening in France.
Consisting of a large number of knot gardens, square gardens bordered by box
hedging, and these are filled in with different plants or vegetables to create
beautiful, very symmetrical gardens.
The Chateau de Villandry was built in the early 1500s. It was one of the last of the
Loire chateaux of the Renaissance period. In 1906 the gardens which had been
destroyed in the 19th century were recreated in keeping with the style of the
chateau.

The gardens cover 9 hectares and include six distinct gardens: a water garden, with
ponds and fountains; an ornamental garden with intricate patterns of clipped box
filled with different flowers according to the seasons; and an enormous vegetable
garden. Amazingly the vegetable garden is one of the most beautiful parts of the
garden and will have you desperate to overhaul your vegetable plot when you get
home.
This large ornamental vegetable garden is the most famous garden of Villandry and
as well as admiring the garden you can see the plans showing which vegetables have
been planted for each colour block. Duing our visit one section had 'yellow' planted
with yellow peppers, 'red' with beetroot, 'white' with white aubergine and 'grey-
green' with cabbage and 'green' with golden celery. The edges were a mix of blue
sage, yellow coreopsis and yellow rudbeckia.
The gardens are laid out on four terraces. The upper terrace is the 'Jardin du Soleil'
(sun garden) which was created in 2008. Next is the 'Jardin d'Eau' or water garden.
Then the 'Jardin d'Ornament' with lots of topiaries filled in with flowers and on the
lower level the fabulous 'potager decoratif' the decorative vegetable garden.
The sun garden is laid out around a star shaped pond and the parterres are filled with
a more informal style of planting than the main formal gardens. Yellow is the
predominant colour as it is the sun garden.
Step on to the belvedere that surrounds a lot of the formal gardens for the best
views. You can really appreciate the amazing design of these gardens from here.

These gardens won 2nd prize in 2005 and 3rd prize in 2003 of the coveted "Top des
Parcs”, Best Park, competition in France.
 ENGLISH GARDEN
The English landscape style is the known influence that shifted from formal,
symmetrical gardens to a looser, irregular style. The English garden was a turn
of the century ideal and changed many aspects of landscape to the
community. Before the introduction of English landscape, nature was views as
dangerous, the English landscape completely changed this view to appreciate
and value the natural world. This style was inspired by painting and its design
was influenced through many disciplines such as history, philosophy and
science. The innovative design of the English landscape style forever changed
gardening and influences many homeowners to bring a sense of nature into
their own yard to this day.
ENGLISH GARDEN is a style of "landscape" garden which emerged in England
in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more
formal, symmetrical jardin à la française of the 17th century as the principal
gardening style of Europe. The English garden presented an idealized view of
nature. It drew inspiration from paintings of landscapes by Claude Lorrain and
Nicolas Poussin, and from the classic Chinese gardens of the East, which had
recently been described by European travellers and were realized in the
Anglo-Chinese garden, The English garden usually included a lake, sweeps of
gently rolling lawns set against groves of trees, and recreations of classical
temples, Gothic ruins, bridges, and other picturesque architecture, designed
to recreate an idyllic pastoral landscape. The work of Lancelot "Capability"
Brown was particularly influential. By the end of the 18th century the English
garden was being imitated by the French landscape garden, and as far away as
 St. Petersburg, Russia, in Pavlovsk, the gardens of the future Emperor Paul. It
also had a major influence on the form of the public parks and gardens which
appeared around the world in the 19th century. The English landscape garden
was centred on the English country house.

Characteristics of the English garden

The continental European "English garden" is characteristically on a smaller
scale and more filled with "eye-catchers" than most English landscape
gardens: grottoes, temples, tea-houses, belvederes, pavilions, sham ruins,
bridges and statues, though the main ingredients of the landscape gardens in
England are sweeps of gently rolling ground and water, against a woodland
background with clumps of trees and outlier groves. The name—not used in
the United Kingdom, where "landscape garden" serves—differentiates it from
the formal baroque design of the garden à la française. One of the best-known
English gardens in Europe is the Englischer Garten in Munich.
The dominant style was revised in the early 19th century to include more
"gardenesque" features, including shrubberies with gravelled walks, tree
plantations to satisfy botanical curiosity, and, most notably, the return of
flowers, in skirts of sweeping planted beds. This is the version of the
landscape garden most imitated in Europe in the 19th century. The outer
areas of the "home park" of English country houses retain their naturalistic
shaping. English gardening since the 1840s has been on a more restricted
scale, closer and more allied to the residence.
The canonical European English park contains a number of Romantic
elements. Always present is a pond or small lake with a pier or bridge.
Overlooking the pond is a round or hexagonal pavilion, often in the shape of a
monopteros, a Roman temple. Sometimes the park also has a "Chinese"
pavilion. Other elements include a grotto and imitation ruins.
A second style of English garden, which became popular during the 20th
century in France and northern Europe, is the late 19th-century English
cottage garden.

Elements within English gardens

Lake - There was always a lake in the English gardens, most were man-made
but all appeared to be natural forming basins. Their edges were meandering
and irregular and often had pathways weaving through the trees and close to
the water’s edge.

Rolling lawns - topography allow for surprises as your coming around

mounds or niches. Even if you create a small mounding area, this represents
nature better___ than a completely levelled landscape.

Tree groves - were spread throughout the landscape with paths that
allowed the gardens users to wander in and out of the groves and provide a
view of rolling lawns against mass tree plantings.

Sculpture - Was entirely different than previous garden art. Part of the
English landscape ideals was to provide views from a distance of classic
detailed architecture and ruins.

Ha ha -was a type of wall used to prevent animals from entering too close to
the house without obstructing the view of the countryside.

Grottos - were used as romantic hide outs. They were manmade but build to
resemble a dark natural forming cave.