Most likely, there will be no person who would not pay attention to the alleys of parks, squares and boulevards ennobled by sculptures and objects of animate and inanimate nature. Their beauty is capable of evoking certain feelings and moods in a person. And if this happens, special thanks to landscape designers who create masterpieces of landscape gardening.
Decorating homes and the area adjacent to them was dealt with thousands of years ago, as evidenced by artifacts found during excavations in various places of the globe, or drawings on papyrus and reliefs on stones.
Styles of landscape gardening
Landscape gardening, as one of the areas of architecture, forms an aesthetically improved environment for people to live and relax. It was formed over the centuries and never existed by itself; it was always part of the culture of society and a reflection of the era.
Currently, there are five styles, you can say, the creation of nature and man:
- Regular style.
- Landscape style.
- Muslim gardens.
- Landscape gardens of China.
- Japanese gardens.
Consider in more detail each of the styles.
Palace and Park Ensemble
Forms of landscape gardening include the so-called regular style. It is also called the palace and park ensemble. The world famous residence of the French king Louis XIV - Versailles was decorated in this style. A new approach to the formation of park architecture is the merit of the master of landscape gardening art Andre Lenotra (1613-1700). During the formation of the Versailles complex, everything was taken into account to impress the exquisite public with the grandeur of the composition and beautiful plants that retained their trimmed form for a long time. Struck by the beauty of the residence of the French king, many European monarchs imitated this style in the construction of their country palaces.
Style is appropriate in our time in suburban residences where guests are welcomed, who need to be surprised by the sophistication of taste and the prosperity of the owners.
English landscape style
The landscape style originated in England in the 18th century during the Enlightenment. The spiritual aspiration of society is expressed in the slogan of the French philosopher, writer and thinker of this era, Jean-Jacques Rousseau - "Back to nature." Works of architecture, urban planning and landscape art personified this idea - "a natural person against a background of natural nature."
The idea of landscape style was to copy nature. Private gardens and large public parks, such as the Bois de Boulogne , are created in this style . It was created in the middle of the 19th century by famous architects Alfen and House Mann. Garden and park architecture in Russia had its own peculiarities in landscape style, expressed in the formation of monastery gardens.
The acquaintance of European countries with the culture of China in the 18th century influenced the idea of forming gardens and parks indirectly, touching only the outside of Chinese philosophy. In arrangement of park zones it was possible to observe bridges, pavilions and arbors. The symbolism and simplicity of Chinese philosophy became clear to Europeans in the 20th century.
Nowadays, landscape designers in the landscape style carry out the layout of country houses and cottages. To create a natural natural zone, the designer must have a truly delicate taste.
Muslim Garden Architecture
The architecture and landscape art of Muslim gardens is reduced to the formation of a paradise on earth. The Muslim garden was formed by the organizers in compliance with the laws of Islam. The base of the garden was a space of four squares delimited by paths. In the centers of the squares, there were always either fountains or pools lined with marble and ceramic tiles.
In Spain, which for a long time was under Arab influence, Muslim gardens were also laid, but over time, Moorish appeared. They looked like large open-air rooms entwined with lashes of roses and vines of grapes. The main decoration of the garden was ponds, flowers and spices.
Chinese Garden Philosophy
If we turn to history, we can find out that already in the II century BC. e. in China, along with the construction of palaces and temples, the first gardens arose around them. The layout of the gardens was free (not interference with nature, but admiring nature) and was in harmony with buildings and structures. Everything, thanks to the skillful creators of landscape gardening architecture of the landscape garden, was subordinated to one goal - finding a point of view, from where a view of the beautiful landscape was opened.
The Chinese creators of the natural looking gardens formed them in accordance with their philosophy:
- The laughing garden is bright with flowers and fresh herbs, a murmuring brook. This garden gives positive emotions to those who come to relax.
- The threatening garden is gloomy, with dark foliage on the trees, sometimes broken and bizarre. Outwardly, he’s going to a corner of the forest, which is hidden from human eyes.
- The idyllic garden is a complete harmony in everything: trees, flowers, ponds where you can relax and take a walk.
Different parks and gardens of Japan
In Japan, a direction has been formed in the development of landscape art under the influence of the idea of forming gardens in China. But over time, the main essence of the Japanese garden was revised. The Japanese architect Makoto Nakamura emphasized that the beauty of the garden is in its miniaturization, symbolism and submission to the rules of building the garden.
The symbolism used in the projects of Japanese gardens can be understood by a trained person who knows the meanings of these symbols. Landscapes of the garden should replace each other according to certain rules, and the plants in the garden should be selected so as to emphasize the individuality of the owner.
Japanese gardens include stony gardens created by certain rules. They come for contemplation and meditation of enlightenment. There are gardens of tea ceremonies in which, subject to certain rules, lined with stone slabs towering above the ground. Walking along these plates with a cup of tea, you "drink" the beauty of the garden.
There are many more styles of gardens and parks that are less known and have not had a significant impact on the styles that are common today.