The Secrets of Gardens, from Europe to Asia (Part 1)

With this post we inaugurate the Crossroads of Cultures category of the blog. The main idea is to create a space for comparison between cultural attractions that can be found in different parts of the world, to explain them "through the eyes of" the other culture.

For example, more and more Asian tourists are visiting European destinations. If the sites they will visit are explained through comparisons with similar examples they have in their own countries, they will get more out of their travel experience. At the same time, it helps any Western reader to reason out many things that are naturalised as being "their own thing".

In this first entry, we will enjoy European gardens through the eyes of Asian gardens. In most tourist destinations these large green spaces are part of the list of priority attractions, so it is very useful to be able to delve into their logic and secrets.

Boboli Gardens, Florence, Italy.

The beauty of nature

Gardens are an artistic and cultural manifestation that has transcended borders throughout history. Both in Asia and in Europe, these natural spaces have been a reflection of the relationship between human beings and nature, as well as of the different traditions and aesthetic styles of each region.

Obviously every garden has a series of characteristics that always appear, no matter where they come from. Not everything is different! Let's see:

1. Connecting with nature: any garden requires a lot of effort. Why did different cultures throughout history decide to build them? The physical and mental health benefits of creating natural spaces with fresh air and protection from extreme temperatures in summer or winter were always recognised.

2. Specialists: we often forget, but both centuries ago and today, every garden - no matter its size - needs a group of experts who are in charge of its design, permanent maintenance, botanical selection, etc. And in both Europe and Asia, having these trades was synonymous with great status and prestige.

3. Presence of water: an indispensable element for life and a symbol of fullness and health, all gardens incorporate water in at least some part of their design. In arid or dry places this prominence of water was much greater, because ensuring constant clean water was also an additional challenge.

4. Symbolic selection: while nature in its pure state is uncontrolled, random and very changeable, the gardens that humans built seek to choose certain plant species, delimit spaces, choose visual forms and maintain a layout over time. That is why we say that every garden is a "green imitation", because it seeks to generate an environment that resembles nature, but is always artificial.

So much for the similarities. Let us now get to know a little about the particularities of European gardens.

Gardens in Europe: "tamed" nature

In principle, on the Old Continent green spaces are a novelty of the last few centuries. It is only since the Modern Age, less than 500 years ago, that we have gardens as we know them today in Europe in general.

What about green Europe?! Well, now we are used to see more urban gardens and parks, but this was not always the case.

Except for the small gardens (hortus) of the great Roman mansions (domus) and the Islamic gardens as for example seen in the Alhambra in Granada, there is no great tradition of gardens in Europe. Moreover, both cases are copies of the "paradises" of the Persians, not a European invention.

We have to wait until the Renaissance for the great families of Europe to start designing gardens near their residences and palaces. As now that the human being was "back to the centre", there was a strong discourse about advancing over nature and controlling it, civilising it, domesticating it.

So you know: when you see any European garden, the message is much deeper than creating a beautiful space. It's a demonstration of the ability to dominate nature, to impose order. And also, of course, a show of ostentation of the monarchy or nobility that designed it, because all these gardens were very expensive.

Types of European gardens

Beyond this, you probably have more than one European garden in mind and recognise that they are not the same as each other. And you are right, over time different styles of gardening have emerged, mainly these three:

- Italian garden: the famous giardino, the first of all, since the Renaissance. They are always relatively small plots of land. They are arranged in square or rectangle-shaped parterres, and the whole garden maintains principles of symmetry. In general, fountains and sculptures abound among the green spaces or in architectural niches prepared for them, always with Greco-Roman motifs.

Farnese Palace, Carparola, Italy.

- French garden: also known as the "formal garden", a product of the baroque period in absolutist France. They are the largest in size and are also concerned with symmetry. But they have large avenues, the flower beds rise up to form labyrinths and the water is concentrated in wide canals. The shapes of these spaces are always straight, with diagonals connecting the spaces of the gigantic green complexes surrounded by pruned shrubs (topiaires). Each area is given a complex pattern resembling embroidery (broderies) to break the rigidity of the overall design.

Palace of Versailles, France.

- English garden: this is the least artificial of the three, and is therefore sometimes called "informal". It is much more adjusted to the terrain and allows for slopes, hills and ponds. In English gardens the vegetation grows a little more freely and is even overgrown (although species are still selected and the shape of the garden is still carefully considered). Ponds are very common throughout the grounds and small vegetable gardens or cottages on the sides.

Regent's Park, London, United Kingdom.

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Despite this classification, combinations or variants of them have emerged over time. And don't let the names fool you: you can find Italian gardens in Prague, French gardens in Vienna or English gardens in Madrid!

Now you can play at recognising the different styles when you visit a garden in Europe! Whatever they are, they are all a beautiful stop on our travels. In some we can have picnics, in others we can sit in the sun or look for shade, in others we can take unforgettable photographs.

In the second part, you will learn about the characteristics of gardens in Asia and how they differ from what we saw in Europe. You will see that it is a whole different world!

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Questions for our readers:

What is your favourite garden in Europe?

Why do you like to visit monumental gardens on your travels?

Leave your answer in the comments!