Garden History – Plants on the Move

This year I’m taking a side trip from the usual course of garden history study. Earlier this year we focused on gardens of the Americas to learn more about how gardens were developing independently in the New World (see Garden History – The Americas). In parallel, we have been learning more about several of the Linnaeus apostles, who were sent out in the 1700s to spread the word about the new taxonomy promoted by Carl Linnaeus, and to collect plant specimens from all over the world (see The Linnaeus Apostles). Now we are focusing on gardening history through the lens of “plants on the move”, using a chapter from Penelope Hobhouse’s book, The Story of Gardening.

Ships transported seeds, dried plant specimens, and live seedlings all over the world.

According to Hobhouse, in Chapter 6, “Plants on the Move: Botanists, Collectors, and Artists”, in the wake of the Renaissance there was a shift in the relationship between people and plants. New professions and avocations were born, and everyone became enamored with plants. Explorers collected them, botanists studied them, artists depicted them, nurserymen propagated and sold them, entrepreneurs looked for ways to profit from them, physicians employed their healing properties, and enthusiasts grew them. With advances in printing, books and prints became more readily available so information spread quickly. Hobhouse cites three major plant sources in this era:

• Old World and Levant – collectors became enamored with bulbs and plants from the Mediterranean and the Levant (an old term for Turkey).  European plant collectors in the 1600s became enthralled with tulip bulbs, which become a commodity for a short time (“Tulip Mania”). The bubble burst, but the interest in bulbs and plants remained. 
• The Americas – the trees and shrubs discovered in North America were also in high demand. The American botanist John Bertram of Philadelphia collaborated with European distributors to exchange plants and seeds. Carl Linnaeus praised Bertram as a botanist, and our Linnaeus apostle, Pehr Kalm, worked with Bertram – see Pehr Kalm in North America). According to Hobhouse, a more naturalistic gardening movement was emerging in the early 1700s, and the plants from America were ideal for this style.
• Exotics – collectors were sent out by botanical gardens and private enthusiast to collect plants from all over the world, including Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, and the tropics. These exotics were embraced and grown in gardens and hot houses far from their native climates. 

Hobhouse writes from a Western perspective, especially the English point of view, but Britain was a key player in the botanical exchange. It is good to keep in mind that plant exchanges have taken place all through history. Consider the Silk Road linking East and West; cultural exchanges between countries, such as Japan and China, and France and Russia; and migrations of people groups. These were all opportunities for plant movement, but the post-Renaissance era of exploration, colonization, and quest for economic gain coupled with advances in technology, accelerated the movement of plants across the globe like never before in history.

Persian Gardens – The Alhambra

Heading west from Iran, the Alhambra is an example of a Persian garden style adapted by the Moors in Spain (the Arabs occupied Spain from 710 – 1492). Alhambra (“the red one”) was constructed as a palace and fortress complex built on top of the hill of the Assabica near the city of Granada. Construction started in the mid-tenth century, and continued in multiple construction phases over the next several hundred years. Water was brought in to the complex via a carved stone aqueduct system. Alhambra is another UNESCO World Heritage site.

Look for glimpses of Persian garden elements (click X to view the advertising later):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v-niFdko1w&feature=youtu.be

According to Christopher Thacker, author of Thacker’s The History of Gardens, The Alhambra retains most Moorish characteristics, but has been overlaid with later European features. The charbagh  (or garden) is retained with a fountain in the center, four channels of water, and four rectangular quadrants. The four planting areas were originally two feet lower than they are today. The effect would have been that the flower tops would have been at the same level of the path – similar to a floral boarder on a beautiful Persian carpet.

Sometimes when visiting the Spanish missions in California, I am struck with how much the central fountain and courtyard, the intricate tile work, and the gardens remind me of these Persian garden elements. It is interesting to think of the history that brought the Persian garden style to the missions of California.

Persian Gardens - The Taj Majal

Heading east from Iran, the Taj Majal is an example of the Persian garden style, adapted by the Mughals in India. The Taj Majal was built in Agra in northern India by the Mughal ruler, Shah Jahan, over a period of 22 years (1632 – 1654) as a tomb for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The beautiful white marble dome, and the exquisite, intricate geometric tile work help make the mausoleum an important example of Mughal architecture (it is a UNESCO World Heritage site).




Taj Majal in Agra, Northern India. Photo by RTQ, used with permission.

The Taj is situated between the banks of the river Yamua, and a chahar-bagh or charbagh (garden). The garden is divided into four quadrants, each of which is further subdivided into four quadrants. A raised central channel runs between the entrance gate and tomb (originally providing irrigation).

Historically the garden at Taj Majal was planted with many plants and flowers. According to Christopher Thacker, author of Thacker’s The History of Gardens, the charbagh matched the formal gardens of Europe for their perfection.  Under British rule, the plantings were transformed to lawns; in Thacker’s opinion, the simpler plantings detract less from the architecture.

Garden History – Persian Gardens

Time for more garden history – this time I’m exploring Persian gardens using Christopher Thacker’s The History of Gardens as my primary information source. According to Thacker, to understand Persian gardens, you must appreciate the harsh climate and environment of Iran - sweeping deserts, harsh and blazing sun, hot summers and freezing winters, and minimal water. In juxtaposition, a Persian garden is a walled sanctuary; shaded, lush, and cool; populated with exquisite and fragrant flowers; with water as its central focus.

Elements of the classic Persian garden include a central fountain or pool, from which flows four shallow channels of water, which divide the garden into four quadrants. The channels represent the four rivers in the Garden of Eden. The entire garden is surrounded by a wall for privacy and security. Trees line the perimeter to provides shade. The four quadrants are planted with flower beds and fruit trees, such as, iris, lilac, narcissus, tulips, carnation, rose, pomegranate, citrus, cypress,  and jasmine. A high platform or structure provides a viewing point to survey the garden. Soft couches and carpets provide a place to rest in the cool garden. There may be variations, but this theme is central to Persian gardens.

Bagh-e Fin in Kashan, Iran (a UNESCO World Heritage site) - beautifully captured by Horizon.
You can see many elements of the Persian garden.
For more photos see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/horizon/28643552/.

As with general garden history, early Persian gardens were hunting parks for rulers, sometimes with the walled garden within. Persian gardens were later influenced by Islam and writings in the Koran, which described gardens as paradise on earth. Tombs were sometimes placed in the center of a garden, further emphasizing the destiny of paradise for the entombed. As Islam spread east and west, so did the influence of Persian gardening.