Renaissance Gardens in Garden History
The Renaissance marked a 'rebirth' of Classical ideals, and garden design was no exception. Renaissance garden design was heavily influenced by the Classical garden design traditions for the greeks and the Romans, and has been one of the strongest influences on garden design ever since.
A return to Classical ideas
The facts
A return to classical garden design ideas was obvious in the shift from an inward-looking, enclosed Medieval garden to the expansive gardens of the Renaissance, with their avenues, tricks of perpective and views across the countryside. Early Renaissance garden design employed a strict grid system, separating the garden into regular parts using pergolas, hedges and clipped topiary. Read more »
Grottos
The must have garden feature of the 18th Century
By the 18th Century, a grotto was one of most desirable additions a garden could boast. What started in Italy as a retreat from the hot midday sun, decorated with antique deities and heroes from the Classical era, had become a fashion statement. Read more »
Parterres and Knot Gardens
Plants for your garden
Designed to be viewed from the house, or from a higher terrace, parterres and knot gardens were another key feature of Renaissance garden design. The low trellis that had created the raised beds of Medieval gardens was replaced with low hedges. Parterres originally began as low hedged enclosures for flower beds, but as the designs became more intricate, the flowers disappeared. Read more »
Symmetry in the Renaissance Garden
Mathematics in garden design
The Renaissance Garden manipulated space to fit newly emerging mathematical and geometric formulas. Formal patterns, completed in evergreen plants were used to create structure, whilst Symmetry was used to exaggerate the effect Read more »
Tricks with Water
Hydraulics and Jokes with water features
Evergreen plants, stone and water were key elements of Renaissance garden design. The water was especially important in this context because it created movement in the otherwise crisp, regimented design. The gardens at Villa Pratalino were famous for their extravagant water features, which employed hydraulics to create water jets and even to play a water organ. In other gardens, water was used to create giant mirrors that reflected the sky. Read more »
Andre Le Notre 1613-1700
Famous French Garden Designers
Andre Le Notre was famous for a very formal, precise and symmetrical style of garden design that was popular in Europe in the 17th Century. Perspective tricks were key to his garden design style. Le Notre is perhaps most famous for the Gardens at Versailles Read more »
