Research of English Landscape Garden

The history of landscape gardening is much more than a history of design and style; it
opens up a wide perspective of English cultural history, showing how landscape gardening was
gradually transformed over two centuries into an art that has been widely imitated throughout
Europe and North America (Kunt 5).
The first occurrence of English Landscape Garden ends up the long history of European
formal gardens, which causes a deep-going revolution towards the fields of western gardens art.
English capitalism has made great progress between the 16th to 17th centuries, especially in which
the capitalist rules were formed because of the English Bourgeois Revolution. Influenced by the
Enlightenment and the transition of capitalist society from feudal society, the Romantic
Movement was launched in European literature and art field so that British authors and artists
worship the beauty of nature, and regard formal gardens as nature contort. They think building
some gardens should be based on nature. All of these provide theoretical foundations for the
occurrence of landscape gardens.
Natural geography and climate also influences English Landscape Garden. British steep
topography about hills and a large area of Pasture fields all provide ideal environments for the
landscape gardens. On the other hand, some businessmen and missionaries who have been to
China introduced to British gardeners about Chinese classical gardens and they were very
interested in this, which also influenced the development of British gardens to an extent . Last
but not least, English Landscape Garden is characteristic of open grass-lands, winding paths, and
the bending of the shore. The limits between gardens and natural sceneries are cancelled and the

transformation of nature and artificiality are unconsidered. Nature as a major part, is applied into
the garden, and therefore natural beauty becomes the highest realm of gardens beauty. In this
way, the thought that human beauty should abide by natural beauty and gardens should cooperate
with nature is reflected.
British Landscape Garden is also influenced by some philosophic thinking, which is
largely related to the sociocultural backgrounds and maybe the most important factor. Because of
the influences from some philosophers, the English landscape gardens were formed widely. One
of the most famous philosophers, called Francis Bacon, later honored as the diviner of English
Landscape Garden, once said that all the beauty of the height on the scale seems a bit odd. He
called the mass in his masterpiece that the designing of symmetry, tree trimming and a pool of
stagnant water should be abandoned. At the same time, he emphasized that there should be a wild
plants botanical garden so that people can look for pure wildness. Another philosopher is a
famous puritan poet, John Milton. He wrote a best-selling religious epic, called Paradise Lost,
which was published in the year 1663. He described Garden of Eden in his book as natural
sceneries, regarded as the forerunner of English Landscape Garden, because Miltons
understandings of garden and nature deeply influenced Addison later. Now, we must mention
here that Eden of Garden depicted by Milton is really a paradise, where Eve and Adam lived
there happily, even though they are exiled by God because they eat from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil in violation of God's command.
There are many types of English Landscape Garden. First, I want to introduce Castle
Chatsworth briefly, which is the concentrated illustration of four centuries changes about British

gardens. It has been one of the most famous gardens since 1570, because the gardens of all
periods left their mark here. Under the great influence of French gardens in the year 1685, Largescale renovation projects were started so that the formal garden area arrived at nearly 50
hectares. In it, not only the country house was built, but the garden was also constructed on the
slopes in the edge of the valley. In the garden, plant trimming and pruning was largely
interspersed, in which boxwood and English yew are major models. There formed a strong
contrast between the elegant garden and wild swamp around, which is much surprising.
Peoples yearning of the lost paradise shows that mankind will eventually return to the
harmonious natural environments. As human living environment is becoming worse and worse,
the voice of returning to nature is increasing day by day. As the eternal theme of garden, the
natural view of the garden plays a decisive role in the development of garden art form.
The development history of garden is also the progress of the society. The transformation
from the luxury of early nobility, then the outdoor dwelling place for the rich stratum and
eventually to the public place from which many residents could enjoy themselves, reflects our
progressive era, fair society and better living environments. The forms of garden arts are
becoming colorful, because the garden is changing from the field of private construction to the
category of public construction. The English landscape style is the known influence that shifted
from formal, symmetrical gardens to a looser, irregular style. The English garden was a turn of
the century ideal and changed many aspects of landscape to the community. Before the
introduction of English landscape, nature was views as dangerous, the English landscape
completely changed this view to appreciate and value the natural world. This style was inspired

by painting and its design was influenced through many disciplines such as history, philosophy
and science. The innovative design of the English landscape style forever changed gardening and
influences many homeowners to bring a sense of nature into their own yard to this day (Laird
230).

References

Kunt, John D. (1988). The Genius of the place: the English landscape garden, 1620-1820. MIT
Press.
Laird, Mark. The Flowering of the Landscape Garden: English Pleasure Grounds, 1720-1800.
Vol. 1. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1999. Print.