Parks and gardens

People like nature… but, equally, they like to create their own environment. Thus, in this category Wondermondo has included man-made landscapes where plants and natural materials (such as rocks, and gravel) play the main role. This category does not include national and provincial parks and other natural areas.

History

Above all, many plants have a practical use for humans. Due to this, already more than 20 thousand years ago people started to plant edible plants closer to their shelters. These were the beginnings of agriculture but also the beginnings of gardening.

No doubt, many food plants are just beautiful: squashes, sunflowers, grapes, and apple trees can adorn any ornamental garden. Nevertheless, purely ornamental gardens evolved only with the rise of the first civilizations of the world. Some of the first gardens were created by wealthy people and some – as sacred groves next to the temples.

Thus, separate traditions in ornamental gardening started in Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient India, Ancient China, Ancient Mexico, and also in Ancient Europe. Most influential has been the Mesopotamian, Chinese, and European traditions.

Mesopotamia

Everyone has heard about two legendary gardens of Mesopotamia: the Garden of Eden and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Archaeological research and written sources identify the Court of Palms in Mari (in contemporary Syria) in 1800 BC, there are known other gardens of similar age in the region.

Mesopotamian civilizations developed a courtyard garden tradition and the city garden tradition. These traditions have influenced the planning of the gardens in the whole Near East (such as Bagh-e Fin in Iran), North Africa (Jnan Sbil in Morocco), southern Europe (Alhambra Gardens in Spain), and also India (Taj Mahal Garden). Ancient Mesopotamians to some extent created the city flower bed and square concepts that are used around the world today. To a large extent, it formed the early European gardening traditions.

China

The earliest Chinese gardens were set already in the second millennia BC, during the Shang Dynasty. These were enclosed royal gardens in the valley of the Yellow River.

Chinese gardening turned into a high scholarly art around the 2nd century BC, based on the philosophical teachings of Confucian and Tao philosophy.

Today there are many outstanding Chinese traditional gardens in China but their achievements spread outside China as well.

Around the 6th – 7th century AD this art reached Japan and the Japanese created their own, indigenous gardening arts that continue to amaze the world up to this day. These traditions include the art of the creation of Zen Gardens, bonsai, cloud trees, and moss gardens, but above all: the specific way of thinking behind this gardening tradition, where everything is somewhat artificial but at the same time: harmonious.

Amazing gardening traditions evolved in Korea as well. To some extent, Chinese traditions have influenced the ornamental gardens in South-East Asia as well.

Europe

In Europe ornamental gardening started in Ancient Rome around 150 BC. Initially, it was influenced by Greek, Persian, and also – Egyptian traditions. The Roman tradition lived and evolved during the Byzantine period.

A true, sophisticated European gardening tradition started in the Renaissance times in Italy when the Italian Renaissance gardening emerged in the late 15th century and continued until the late 16th century. These gardens demonstrated the power and influence of their owners and were adorned with outstanding works of art and engineering – sculptures, fountains, and artificial waterfalls. Italian Renaissance gardens were symmetrical, with shrubs and trees formed in geometrical forms.

From Italian traditions evolved the French formal gardens – a Baroque tradition (early 17th century – late 18th century) that represented the power of humans over the forces of nature. These gardens were formed in harmony with the architecture of palaces and represented a strict order.

Third influential tradition of European gardens is English landscape garden (late 18th – 19th centuries). These gardens imitated a harmonious natural landscape where humans just added some masterful accents – a folly (decorative structure), and a carefully moved lawn. This style was additionally inspired by Chinese gardening traditions during the 19th century.

Development of science during the Renaissance period and then Enlightenment led to the development of botanical gardens. These are scientific collections of plants. Plant research there is supplemented by indoor science: herbariums, libraries, and also – laboratories. The first scientific botanical gardens evolved in Renaissance Italy but today botanical gardens are not just scientific institutions but serve for education and recreation and often are used as cultural venues.

Some records

• The largest flower garden (the number of flowers) in the world could be Dubai Miracle Garden in the United Arab Emirates. Over the area of 7.2 hectares are planted some 50 million flowers and 250 million other plants.
• The largest flower garden (by the area) in the world could be Keukenhof in the Netherlands. This garden has an area of 32 hectares and each year there are planted some 7 million bulbs of flowers.

  

• The largest number of living plant species is in Kew Royal Botanical gardens (United Kingdom). There grow 16,900 species of plants, but, if all the sorts and varieties are included – 21,843 kinds of plants.
• The oldest scientific botanical garden in the world is Orto Botanico di Padova (1545). Orto Botanico di Pisa (1544) is one year older but some decades after its establishment this garden was moved elsewhere, to its present location.
• The oldest existing royal park in the world could be Mahamevnāwa in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It was set by King Mutasiva during his reign in 367-307 BC.
• The largest rose garden in the world could be Europa-Rosarium in Sangerhausem (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany). Its collections contain more than 6,300 taxons of rose cultivars including more than 500 wild rose species. In total there are more than 75,000 rose bushes.
• The largest collection of conifers in the world could be in the Bedgebury National Pinetum in Kent, United Kingdom. Over the area of 130 ha, there grow more than 10,000 trees. There are some 2,300 species and varieties of conifers including many extremely rare species.
• The world’s biggest greenhouse is Eden Project in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The Tropical Biome greenhouse covers 1.56 ha and contains the largest indoor rainforest in the world.