Landscape design is an exciting and challenging activity. But its results have been pleasing for many years, giving pleasure to people. Therefore, it is worth turning a piece of land into beauty and enjoying the results of your work. But which style should you choose? Which is better - regular or landscape park? Let's talk about the specifics of the latter. About how the tradition of creating landscape landscape gardening complexes was born, what are their features and how to create them. And in the photo you can see the best examples of landscape art.
Landscape Art
The tradition of creating parks dates back to Ancient Greece. Already in those days, people sought to create an ideal landscape that would give the joy of contemplation. The idea of parks goes back to the biblical myth of the Garden of Eden, in which a person was absolutely happy. And the idea of creating some semblance of this place for bliss accompanies man throughout his history. The ancient Greeks created parks so that people could findunity with nature, so the design of the garden took into account the features of the natural landscape. These were still not fully landscape parks, but their prototype. In Greece, there were public gardens intended for the recreation of free citizens. Roman landscape gardening culture introduces the tradition of creating house gardens with flowers and plants for walks of we althy citizens. At the same time, prototypes of regular gardens appeared, which were created at rich villas. Since that time, gardens and parks have become an indispensable attribute of the life of rich people. And later, the middle class sought to have at least a small front garden near the house to touch this lifestyle.
Genuine landscape style in landscape design came from the East. As far back as the first millennium BC, gardens were created in China to enjoy the natural environment. Japan has made a huge contribution to the development of this tradition. Exquisite landscapes were created here in the 14th and 15th centuries, and the main art of the gardener was to emphasize natural nature. In Europe, the tradition of planting gardens is developed by monasteries, each of which always had its own plot, cultivated and decorated by monks. These gardens were part of an architectural complex and were filled with symbolism. So, labyrinths were often arranged in these parks as a symbol of the soul wandering in search of God. During the Renaissance, baroque parks for secular purposes appeared. They were supposed to please the eye, entertain, promote relaxation. Such parks belonged to the aristocracy and were a symbolwe alth and luxury. It was the heyday of gardening culture, then two traditions were laid: landscape and regular. In the 18th century, two styles emerged that became the main ones in landscape design.
Signs of landscape park
In the 18th century, a new style emerged in England, the main purpose of which was to create a garden and park complex as a semblance of natural nature. Later, this tradition spread to continental Europe, and Russian landscape parks appeared even later. How to recognize this style? It has a number of distinctive characteristics:
- Free layout. Nothing should betray the thoughtfulness of the landscape.
- No symmetry. Nature is inherently asymmetric, so there should be no symmetrical objects in the park either.
- The layout of the park in accordance with the natural landscape. The gardener should emphasize the natural beauty of the place, not completely create it.
- Mandatory relief contrasts. Landscape landscape, even in flat terrain, should be built on the alternation of flat and hilly parts.
- No straight lines. Paths, landings should be winding, reminiscent of spontaneous natural terrain.
- Gradual disclosure of perspective. The park should surprise the person who walks through it, he should not see the whole landscape at once.
- The presence of reservoirs, alpine slides, cascades.
- Use only natural materials in decor. Gravel, stone, shavings, saw cut wood, etc.
- The crown of trees should be natural, notrimming is not allowed.
- Lack of garden sculpture, fountains.
Everything in this park should be reminiscent of natural nature, but at the same time be well-groomed, thoughtful.
Landscape vs Regular
English and French gardening traditions find their supporters and opponents. What is better? Regular and landscape park are two different approaches, with different tasks. The French regular park is a child of the classical tradition. Its motto is man's control over nature. The gardener creates a work of art, demonstrating his skill, imagination, sense of style. He carefully calibrates the symmetrical composition, cuts plants, fills the park with other artifacts: fountains, sculpture. The landscape in such a garden continues the lines of architecture. In the English landscape tradition, everything is exactly the opposite. The gardener imitates nature, hides his intervention in the landscape. Even the sculpture should look like conquered by nature - overgrown with moss, half-hidden by grass and bushes. Experts recommend choosing a style, guided not only by personal tastes, but also by the characteristics of the site. A flat, large area will create a regular, symmetrical park, while the originally hilly, asymmetrical area next to the forest is ideal for laying out a landscape park. You also need to pay attention to the architecture of the building to which the park adjoins, so that there is no dissonance between them.
English traditions
Gardening –one of the most important cultural traditions of Great Britain. And the English landscape park is the pinnacle of this tradition. The landscape of the country is ideal for creating such landscape gardening complexes: hilly terrain, many small reservoirs, soft vegetation. Humphrey Repton, an outstanding landscape architect, in the late 18th - early 19th century formulated the basic principles of a landscape park:
- Free layout. The park should "unfold" in front of a person, presenting surprises around every turn.
- An architect should create the illusion of naturalness of the park, there should be a feeling that these plants have been living here for a very long time, and the house was simply built into them. The park should be central to architecture.
- The park is a holistic work, and the author's task is to create an integral image of the place thought out to the smallest detail.
- A landscape garden is never flat, the architect must complicate the relief if this is not in the plot.
Style Creators
The landscape parks of England are the result of the creativity of a few people. The main founder is considered to be William Kent, a famous gardener and architect, an adherent of English classicism. His associate was the gardener C. Bridgman. For the first time, they decided to move away from the strict geometric forms adopted in the French tradition. They drew inspiration from the landscape painters of the time, Poussin and Lorrain. The main creation of Kent - the park in Stowe - was transformed from a typical regular into an innovative landscape complex. He harmoniously continued the surrounding forest landscape. Kent's goal was to find harmony and balancebetween nature and human creation. Kent's ideas were continued and developed by Lancelot Brown and Humphrey Repton. They began to create more intimate parks and brought the idea of the illusion of naturalness to the absolute.
Outstanding examples
Traditional English landscape park is designed for sensory perception, it is created on the nuances of color, shape, texture, light. The architect and gardener must provide that the park should make an impression at different times of the day and year. It must constantly change and maintain a solid image. The most famous examples of parks of this type are:
- A classic example of style - the park in Stowe. The area of the complex is about 100 hectares, and together with the surrounding landscapes, in which it harmoniously fits - 500 hectares. In such a space, the architect was able to use a variety of expressive means. There is an alternation of open and closed spaces, many romantic corners with architectural structures, the design of reservoirs.
- Bodnant Garden in Wales by Lord Aberconway's family. This is a real British landmark, which attracts tourists from all over the world.
- Kensington Palace Gardens, Carltonhouse.
- Park at Wilton House.
European traditions
A great admirer of landscape-type parks on the continent was the philosopher and writer J.-J. Rousseau. He redecorated his garden in Ermenonville and decorated it in the English style. The new garden concept is finding a lot of fans in Europe. LouisThe sixteenth introduces the fashion for landscape parks, and since that time the style has been spreading in France, Germany, the Netherlands. The inhabitants of the continent could not refuse to include architecture in the composition of the park and find various solutions to introduce gazebos, arches, pavilions into the natural landscape. The ideologists and theorists of the landscape style in Europe were P. Lenné and G. Pückler. Their works are still the sights of Germany today.
Famous Examples
The most famous landscape parks in Europe are located in France (Ermenonville) and in Germany - gardens near Dessau and Bad Muskau, the Wertritz park, and the park kingdom of Dessau-Werlitz is even included in the list of objects protected by UNESCO. The park of the Sanssouci ensemble near Potsdam was created by Pückler and became a model for many other parks. There are wonderful examples of landscape parks in Poland, the Czech Republic, Munich, Bulgaria.
Russian experience
The Russian aristocracy could not pass by the gardening fashion of Europe, and in the 18th century the first landscape parks appeared in Russia. Most of them were copies of European landscapes, but gradually Russian gardeners began to create unique complexes that ideally emphasize the beauty of Russian nature.
Outstanding parks
The tradition of English-style parks has taken root well in Russia. Brilliant examples of this art were created in the 18th and 19th centuries. At first, Russian gardeners followed the path of copying, but later a unique poetics of landscape paintings was formed.parks in Russia. They played up the beauty of Russian nature, and used traditional local plants. Great examples are:
- Park in the estate of Tsaritsyno. It was created by order of Empress Catherine II. Siberian larches and cedars were used here. The main layout of the park was carried out by English architects.
- Pavlovsky and Ekaterininsky parks in the suburbs of St. Petersburg. These are real masterpieces of Russian landscape gardening art.
- The unique rocky landscape park of Mon Repos in Vyborg. This is a rare occasion when such a large-scale project was completed without investment from the imperial family.
Who suits the landscape type
When choosing a style for decorating a garden, you must first pay attention to the features of the site. Landscape style is suitable for places with natural uneven terrain, with natural reservoirs. To create an English-style garden, you need to be prepared for the fact that its beauty will be chamber, not striking in the eyes, opening gradually.
