THE HISTORY OF
DESIGN Gardens have delighted the senses for millennia—from animal barriers built by cavemen to the gardens of Versailles, to the sprawling botanical gardens that beautify our cities today, every culture has left their unique mark on gardening. Explore with us as we dig deeper into the fascinating, enlightening, and sometimes whimsical history of garden design. What will inspire you?
BY TOM SEABROOK
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4 4. JUST A BIT OFF THE TOP The art of trimming bushes and trees into shapes, known as topiary, has a history stretching back to Ancient Rome. A good
1. ANCIENT WONDER
topiary artist can make shrubs
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
look like people, animals,
were one of the Seven Wonders
geometric shapes, or whatever
of the Ancient World. Famous for
you desire. May we recommend
their enormous size and variety,
an evergreen nest full of happy
it was said they were built for a Babylonian queen who missed
birds?
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the green hills of her home. No
5. EURO STYLE
one has ever proved that they
Many European countries have
really existed…but we want to
distinct garden styles. Italian
believe!
gardens, developed during the Renaissance, emphasize
2. LET’S GET LOST
symmetry and order, often
Who doesn’t love a hedge maze?
incorporating statues. Terraces,
Half the fun is getting lost, but
fountains, and tightly controlled
hedge mazes weren’t always
plantings are characteristic of
designed to baffle. During the Renaissance, European gardens began to incorporate “mazes”
French gardens, which came
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Versailles in the 17th century.
that had just one path through.
English gardens take a less
It wasn’t until the late 1600s that
formal approach, presenting
dead ends began appearing,
an idyllic version of nature
turning a relaxing stroll into an
popularized by 18th century
exciting challenge.
landscape painting.
3. ROCK AND AWE
6. THE MORE YOU GNOME
Does a garden need plants?
Though the practice of placing figurines in gardens can be
According to the Japanese Zen garden tradition, the answer is no. Rock gardens have roughly 1,000 years of documented history in Japan. Zen gardens
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traced back much further, garden gnomes as we know them originated in 19th century Germany. Their popularity spiked
as we know them flourished
after Disney released Snow
from the 14th century on, as
White and the Seven Dwarfs in
Zen Buddhists created patterns of rock and sand meant to encourage meditation on the great mysteries of life.
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into their own at the Palace of
NEST MAGAZINE | SPRING/SUMMER 2020
1937. With a penchant for jaunty red caps and a reputation for wandering, gnomes bring cheer to any garden.
