FRANCO-GERMAN GARDENS OF SYMMETRY Many of the British Gardens we looked at elsewhere are relatively compact with dimensions in dozens of feet. The French and German gardens tend to be much larger, hundreds of yards. Thus this selection of 18 gardens includes detail photos of some as the full size are too enormous to appreciate in a single image.
COMPOSED AND COLLATED BT DAVE HAMBIDGE, PUBLISHED 4 OCTOBER 2009
Right at the top of my list is Versailles where the distance across this picture is about 1 mile..
This detail of Versailles shows a parked line of cars to left side for judging the scale from.
The Herrenhausen Gardens in Germany are of similar scale, the horizontal arms of the lake being some half mile long.
The amazing details and complexity of the parterres can be seen in this detail of one of the right/central beds.
Although Breteuil in France is only 350 by 260 yards for the whole site it contains a number of symmetrical beds.
Champs-Sur-Marne in France has this bed which is itself 260 by 130 yards.
Whilst at Wilhelma in Stuttgart the lower bed is 200 yards in length and the yellow bordered upper is 120 yards.
The largest symmetrical gardens often use water as here at Rambouillet where the bottom edge of the lake is 1000 yards...
‌ whilst at Chenonceau the gardens and enclosed water measure 370 by 240 yards...
‌ and at Mainau the water cascade through the middle of the flower beds is 120 feet long.
Elsewhere large symmetrical sites are subdivided into flower, herb and vegetable gardens or potagers, as here at Villandry where the three by four beds in the centre are about 240 by 280 yards. (NB Water also!)
In winter months such potagers can look very bare as here at M端nchen-Nymphenburg in early April...
and in autumn a uniform green hue as at St Jean de Beauregard...
...but these colourful circular potagers remind me of compact drive discs, CD's?
Although not strictly symmetrical, this plot from Munster is reminiscent of a ladybird...
...whilst the flags outlined at bottom right at Talmay are 160 by 80 yards.
Another visually appealing flourish is parterres subdivided to look like playing cards, here at Hautefort...
‌ and here at Villarcreaux. Both near symmetrical features are about 110 by 50 yards in size.
AND FINALLY... The images are copyright to whichever name is shown on them. The images are NOT to be copied or used from this publication for any purpose without the permission of the copyright holders, NOT from me! I accept no responsibility for any actions taken by others that breach the above. So there, be warned!
Enjoy and Have a Nice day wherever you are. COMING SOON OTHER EUROPEAN GARDENS OF SYMMETRY