The history of the UK garden is a reflection of the changing cultural attitudes towards nature, beauty and leisure, which is in turn shaped by various influences and societal shifts.
The first recorded garden in England dates back to 1st century AD when Roman conquerors introduced it to our British landscape. These gardens were almost exclusively found in villas and palaces, for example the recreated Fishbourne Roman Palace in Sussex remains a good example of Roman gardens.
These gardens were obviously heavily influenced by Italian design. They were often enclosed by courtyards, and often featured statues, fountains, pools, and plants. On a wider landscape, they would host orchards, vineyards, and olive groves. They were structured by hedges and pathways, often with gaps in the hedges hinting to statues, urns, and seats. Roman gardens provided evidence of humans using nature for both aesthetic pleasure and for practical purposes.
However, with the departure of the Romans, gardens did not hold much importance for the Anglo-Saxons and so we had to wait until the coming of the Middle Ages to see a resurgence in garden significance. The Middle Ages saw gardens as a place to grow fruit, vegetables, and herbs for food and medicine, especially in the monasteries. These gardens were also used for recreation and contemplation, with many private gardens becoming a green space surrounded by hedges or fences to play bowls or tennis.
Tudor gardens then came, following Italian influence once again, to create gardens that mirrored the house alignment. They included features such as knot gardens (intricate patterns of hedges), labyrinths, fish ponds, and viewing mounts,. Some of these features are still seen in your typical garden today. Tudors were great at combining architecture and plants, and this is still seen today with knot gardens to represent elegance and structure.
The Victorian era marked a great shift in gardening practises. These gardens were dressed to impress, coming from an explosion of interest in gardening and plant collection. This obsession led to amazing flower beds, vibrant colours, and elaborate designs, often featuring exotic plants from around the world. The Victorians also created public green spaces to ‘bring culture to the masses’. Herbaceous borders were introduced by the Victorians, where vibrant and colourful plants were arranged in linear beds to outline the garden.
Our modern gardens are influenced by many features that are present throughout English history. This has also included influence from other countries. An example of this is also Japan’s gardens, which influenced England in the late 19th century, bringing zen gardens and water features into contemporary garden designs.
Another great influence from the modern day was the work of Gertrude Jekyll, who played a large role in shaping the gardens of today. Like Capability Brown, she believed in the beauty of the natural landscape, and created colour schemes that any gardener could adapt. Her work is often landmarked by her herbaceous borders with their detailed colour palettes. Her colour schemes usually included alternating themes of cold (white and blue) and hot (orange and red). Her ideas continue to influence many gardens worldwide.
Today garden design tend to focus on wild planting, contrasted with some formal shapes and lines. The need for more wildlife and natural forms in this technological age where the planet is bowed down by the demands and appetites of modernity is being achieved by a less controlled design approach, with random self seeding plants, less formal lawns or no lawns at all, and the use of curves to remind us of the greater landscape in which we live.
What to do this August
Obviously keep up the watering in this sustained hot weather, especially with plants in pots and new plants.
Top up the mulch to retain moisture and keep weeds down
Keep pinching out your tomatoes and sowing new rills of lettace, radishes and spinach
Time to prune the bigger shrubs that have just finished flowering like Wygelia, Philadelpus, and Sprirea- cut out the old flowering wood back to new growth that next year’s flowers will bloom from them
Mow your lawn on a higher setting now to keep moisture in the grass to help mitigate against summer browning in dry spells
Apply a nitrogen feed if Red Thread fungus is taking over your lawn
Have a bit of a rest- things slow down in the garden now, and so can you.
Where to go in August
Try a visit to the Hanna Pechar Sculpture gardens in Dorking.
Tickets must be booked in advance because of limited car parking
Black & White Cottage
Standon Lane
Ockley
Dorking,Surrey
RH5 5QR (postal only – use RH5 5QU for SatNav)
Telephone: (+44) (0) 1306 627 269
