Gardens of Italy, England and Europe, Appunti di Lingua Inglese

Scarica Gardens of Italy, England and Europe e più Appunti in PDF di Lingua Inglese solo su Docsity! VILLA ADRIANA, ROME early decades of 2nd cent AD by Emperor Hadrian. Canopus = long colonnated pool surrounded by statues culminating in a large banqueting-hall with a large arched and domed door. became important to Renaissance artists: they took inspiration for measurement and proportion. 10-mile-long aqueduct to supply the villa’s pools and fountains in some of which there were small boats with people having feasts and orgies POOLS + FOUNTAINS important = reflection of the landscape water = symbol of emperor’s power in the back of the pool there was a private entrance in which Hadrian had dinner. Here there were statues of god, a little pool and it was all lined with marble, from statues to walls godlike emperor bathed in a halo of light Renaissance cardinals want this magic Renaissance artists take inspiration By studying the villa, artists rediscovered ways of taming water that had been lost for many centuries they could control water speed movement using different sized pipes and spouts growth of new astonishing art VILLA D’ESTE TIVOLI the cardinal wants to recreate and outreach the magic of Hadrian’s villa = IPPOLITO D’ESTE put his great ambition and frustration for not becoming Pope into his garden AIM = create the biggest water garden since Hadrian’s villa Designed to arrive at the bottom of the garden off guard and slowly climb up the hill to reach the top so that the garden would unfold and reveal itself when the visitor would reach the top, they would be in a state of breathless amazement Architect = Pirro Ligorio he demolished whole streets to make room for the garden = to bring water from a nearby aqueduct AIM = astonishment + provide scientific knowledge ! hydro engineer enormous hydrotechnical display Terrace of a hundred fountains = 3 layers of fountains from which water comes from a single source all the fountains have same velocity and rhythm and sound the three layers represent rivers leading to Rome = d’Este desire to become Pope Presence of a Colosseum a Pantheon code message = power of Rome inside the garden a statue of Romulus and Remus DRAMA simplicity and symmetric harmony of early Renaissance garden replaced by the fashion for dramatic architects want to entertain visitors with spectacular and highly dramatic disposes = surprise through water jokes The Villa d'Este at Tivoli is one of the grandest and best-preserved of the Italian Renaissance gardens. It was created by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este, son of Alfonso I d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara, and Lucrezia Borgia. He was made a Cardinal at the age of twenty-nine and became governor of Tivoli in 1550. To develop his residence, he took over a former Franciscan convent, and for the garden he bought the adjoining steep hillside and the valley below. His chosen architect was Pirro Ligorio, who had been carrying out excavations for Ippolito at the nearby ruins of the ancient Villa Adriana, or Hadrian's Villa, the extensive country residence of the Roman Emperor, Hadrian, that had numerous elaborate water features. Ligorio created the garden as a series of terraces descending the steep hillside at the edge of the mountains overlooking the plain of Latium. The terraces were connected by gates and grand stairways starting from a terrace below the villa and traversing down to the Fountain of Dragons at the foot of the garden. The stairway was crossed by five traversal alleys on the different levels, which were divided into rooms by hedges and trellises covered with vines. At the crossing points of the stairway and the alleys there were pavilions, fruit trees, and aromatic plants. At the top, the promenade used by the Cardinal passed below the villa and led in one direction to the grotto of Diana, and in the other to the grotto of Asclepius. The glory of the Villa d'Este was the system of fountains, fed by two aqueducts that Ligorio constructed from the River Aniene. In the centre of the garden, the alley of one hundred fountains (which actually had two hundred fountains), crossed the hillside, connecting the Oval Fountain with the Fountain of Rome, which was decorated with models of the famous landmarks of Rome. On a lower level, another alley passed by the Fountain of Dragons and joined the Fountain of Proserpina with the Fountain of the Owl. Still lower, an alley of fishponds connected the Fountain of the Organ to the site of a proposed Fountain of Neptune. Each fountain and path told a story, linking the d'Este family to the legends of Hercules and Hippolytus or Ippolito, the mythical son of Theseus and Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons. The central axis led to the Fountain of Dragons, which illustrated one of the labours of Hercules, and three other statues of Hercules were found in the garden. The myth of Ippolito, the mythical namesake of the owner, was illustrated by two grottos, that of Asclepius and Diana. The Fountain of the Owl used a series of bronze pipes like flutes to make the sound of birds but the most famous feature of the garden was the great Organ Fountain. It was described by the French philosopher Michel de Montaigne, who visited the garden in 1580: "The music of the Organ Fountain is true music, naturally created...made by water which falls with great violence into a cave, rounded and vaulted, and agitates the air, which is forced to exit through the pipes of an organ. Other water, passing through a wheel, strikes in a certain order the keyboard of the organ. The organ also imitates the sound of trumpets, the sound of cannon, and the sound of muskets, made by the sudden fall of water. The garden was substantially changed after the death of the Cardinal and in the 17th century, and many statues were sold, but the basic features remain, and the Organ Fountain has recently been restored and plays music once again. ORTO BOTANICO, PADUA 16th cent. Founded by the Venetian Republic in 1545 devoted to the growth of medicinal plants “simple plants” (“orto dei semplici”) surrounded by a circular wall enclosure to protect the garden from the frequent night thefts The garden was steadily enriched with plants from all over the world, particularly from the countries that participated in trade with Venice Padua had a leading role in the introduction and study of many exotic plants herbarium, library, many laboratories were gradually added Represents the birth of science, of scientific exchanges, and understanding of the relationship between nature and culture = Botany, Medicine, Chemistry, Ecology, Pharmacy Architect = Daniele Barbaro Followed the example of the medieval Horti Conclusi architecture = perfect pattern of a square within a circle, divided into four parts by two paths oriented according to the cardinal points end of 16th cent = garden enriched with many fountains fed by a gigantic wheel hydrophore, to ensure proper irrigation 1704 = 4 gates and gateways were built with huge embellished acroterions (= ornaments) in red stone decorated with plants made of iron 18th cent = wall refined along the external perimeter by a balustrade with representations of half-length portraits of important persons statue of Theophrastus (greek philosopher) beside the south door statue of Solomon beside the east door four season fountain with portraits made of Carrara marble 19th cent = greenhouses + botanic theatre built there are 3 sundials: 1 cubic, 1 circular, 1 cylindrical at the centre of the four-square map = poop of water for the aquatic plants Used as a teaching facility by the University of Padua since the year following the inauguration indigenous plants were studied here to find their properties = revolutionary (before this point, plant medicines relied on superstition) Sort of laboratory plants lay in sort of beds and are classified and named = each plant I labelled with its scientific name and its principal therapeutical properties there’s no attempt to create a beautiful garden, what’s important is order and clearness in identifying plant as new plants came in, they were given a new specific position in the garden MAP = 4 squares with different patterns containing plant beds. Each bed had a specific plant easy to find a specific plant had taken refuge in the town Architect = Gelasio Caetani 1921 English garden style restored some of the buildings of the medieval town of Ninfa as a summer residence began to plant different plant species that he brought home from his travels abroad Garden = crossed by numerous small springs + river Ninfa (south of the garden) Restoration = through importing plant species from all over the world Located on a major flyway of birds migrating from Africa to Europe → Garden + lake + river = rich variety of fauna (brown trout, Mediterranean trout, 152 species of birds) Teals, mallards, gadwalls, herons, lapwings and some raptors have since been observed there REGGIA DI CASERTA The Royal Palace of Caserta, or Royal Palace of Caserta, is a historic mansion that belonged to the royal house of Bourbons of Naples, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Located in the town of Caserta, is surrounded by a large park in which he identified two areas: the Italian garden, in which there are several fountains and the famous Grand Cascade, and the garden, characterized by dense forests. In terms of volume, the Royal Palace of Caserta is the largest royal residence in the world with over 2 million m³. It covers an area of 47,000 m². The Italian Garden In the Italian Garden with its back to the Royal Palace on the left, which leads to Peschiera Old, built in 1769 and commissioned by Ferdinand IV to dabble with small naval battles, while Castelluccia, before it was used as a dwelling for picnics , was the center of the fake land battles. In the tank, the fish were bred that were served at the table reale.Tale bath, was built under the direction of architect Collecini, during the absence of the master, which makes as general manager of the works. Collecini is dedicated to the construction of the Great Pond in the park and the building of rimoderna Castelluccia at the eastern end of the forest, turning it into the pavilion of the eighteen games for King Ferdinand. In 1789 ends the construction of the large tub with a small island in the middle that due to its size (270 x 105 m.), Later called Peschiera Grande.La tank has a rectangular bounded by a parapet interrupted by piers that overlook the expanse of ‘water. The site was intended to exercises for the naval battles of the little Ferdinand IV and involved the use of specially constructed model. At the center of the basin is characterized, under the thick vegetation, a small island called the “Pagliara”, which was to include a pavilion with arrows and guns, then transformed into a place for entertaining guests. The naval battles with took place in the “Peschiera Grande” and consisted of an assault on the King himself, at the head of a flotilla of boats, led against the “Pagliara” that once stood on the island, equipped as a fort of “saettiere” and guns. For the maintenance of the “fleet” had been transferred to a specially large number of sailors, “Liparoti” from the island of Lipari, which had been built for a specific neighborhood near the “fish pond”. During the military simulations, although Small size, were used real guns, mortars and fuli. It is an artificial lake built in the park of the Palace in the year 1769 by the architect Collecini. The lake, with an island at the center, is 270 meters long, 105 wide and 3.50 deep. Between 1769 and 1773, designed for the entertainment of King Ferdinand IV, there were carried out mock battles on land and sea with ship models on a small scale. They were also settled in the housing near the bathtub sailors and their families; “Liparoti” to organize water games. Today around the lake is ideal for sailing models, Caserta are the usual jogging. Since 2002, thanks to the combination of cultural and sporting CVR section. Caserta, to the Superintendent, the Office of the Provincial Ministry of Education are held every year the Student Sports Games Radio Control Sailing “Radio Sailing.” Caserta is the headquarters of the association of sailing class Phigit Italy, the Italian section of the class international sailing Phigit. Currently citizens Caserta making jogging around the pool and thanks to the CVR Caserta asd Olympic Committee and the provincial Ministry of Education since 2003 making championships Student Sailing Radio Control (Radio Sailing). Not far away is the Castelluccia, a sort of miniature fortress built in 1769 for fun and, perhaps, the military education of the royal princes. Originally, the octagonal tower, drawbridge, and above all, ramparts, made clear the military (albeit of play) of the structure. But in 1819 the transformation of the ramparts in gardens has changed the initial design. The English Garden The park was built by John Andrew Graefer wanted a garden by Queen Maria Carolina of Habsburg-Lorraine, wife of Ferdinand IV, according to the dictates of the period that saw the garden prevail called “landscape” or “English “underscore the origin British space as faithful as possible to nature (or at least its interpretation according to the canons of Romanticism). The queen was persuaded by Sir William Hamilton, British Envoy Extraordinary of His Majesty to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which, to identify the expert designer of the garden, he turned to Sir Joseph Banks, known for his studies naturalist and botanist for participated with Captain James Cook on the Endeavour’s legendary expedition. The choice fell on John Andrew Graefer, a prominent figure among botanists Anglo-Saxon, a pupil of Philip Miller. Graefer was known in international botany in England for having introduced many exotic plants, some of which are remote from Japan. The work of John Andrew Graefer began in 1786 and allowed the garden to form, from year to year, with plants and seeds identified in Capri, Maiori, Vietri, Salerno, Cava dei Tirreni, Pedemonte, Agnano, Mud, Gaeta. Nel1789, as he continued his work at the English Garden, Graefer published in England, the descriptive catalog of more than eleven hundred species and varieties of plants and herbaceous perennials. The garden is characterized by the apparent disorder “natural” plants (many rare species and, in any case, non- native), streams, ponds, “ruins” in the fashion nascent derived from recent excavations at Pompeii. Prominent, the bath of Venus, the Criptoportico, the ruins of the Doric Temple. The fountains of the park are fed Carolino Aqueduct, which was inaugurated in 1762 by King Ferdinand IV. This work that draws water to 41 km away is, for the most part, built in tunnels, crossing 6 pads and 3 viaducts (very well-known one called “The Bridges of the Valley” located in Valle di Maddaloni, of 60 meters high and 528 meters long, inspired by the Roman aqueducts). The garden was cared for in later years by the three sons of Graefer who took in the dense garden of Naples from the French Directory and cared saving it from ruin. VILLA CARLOTTA – COMO, ITALY The garden-park of Villa Carlotta (about 8 hectares) is a very fascinating place: its favourable position, but also the harmonic coexistence of styles, the variety of plant species, literary suggestions make it worth a visit. Come and see the Italian garden that dates back to the XVII Century with its geometrical schema, stair and terraces, statues and fountains; feel the echoes of the Romantic period, still alive in the structure of the park with old trees of big size and views of great charm; come to live the impressive vegetal architecture of the second half of the XIX Century with the monumental azaleas and rhododendrons and the unending richness of rare plants and species! The terraces and the Italian garden Geometrical flowerbeds, small basins, grotesques and fountains animate the five terraces in front of the villa. Going up the ancient steps, the visitor may meet one botanic wonder after the other: the high edges of camellias, the papyrus, the two large and renowned tunnels of citruses, the numerous roses that decorated the walls, in many cases very old specimens survived over the years. The French writer Gustave Flaubert celebrated this part of the garden, during his stay on the Como Lake in the spring 1845: "the stone steps touching the water, the big trees, the roses embracing a fountain..." remained long time in his memory. From the terraces, it’s possible to have a wonderful view of the Italian garden with its stone balustrade decorated with twelve statues of mythological divinities and allegorical figures in Candoglia marble, dating back to the first years of the XVIII Century. They represent Night, Hercules, Deianira, Zephyrus, Flora, Apollo, America, Pomona, Vertumnus, Galatea, Echo and their meaning is linked to the rhythms and the pleasures of rural life. In the center of the Italian garden is located a large shaped eighteenth-century basin with the statue of Arion of Metimna, mythological singer and musician, saved by a dolphin from the waves of the sea. The Azaleas In April and in May Villa Carlotta offers an authentic sea of multicolored azaleas in high rounded cushions along the garden paths. The effect is unique, because of the chromatic variety and of plant size. Here it is possible to verify the ability of the landscape architects of the Saxen-Meiningens times and of the today's gardeners able to create and maintain such a route in bloom, interpreting in a modern key the aims and the techniques of the ancient topiary art. To enjoy the scene a short path between the azaleas lead to a romantic gazebo: from there it is possible to admire real waves of azalea in a background of rhododendrons. The Camellias Considering the size achieved by a number of specimens, it is possible to conclude that here the use if the camellias goes back to a remote past. Walking through the park, let is admire the different varieties in many colors. Some of the camellias are quite rare, such as the group at the back of the villa, near the niche today covered by a fern. Rhododendron woods A single species of rhododendron (Rhododendron arboreum) has been here able to recreate a scene that in nature can only be equaled on the Himalayan Mountains: a great number of trees - some of them one hundred years old - evoke with their trunks and brunches an unforgettable atmosphere. Characterized by a thick trunk with no brunches in its lowest part, 30-60 in diameter and from 1 to 15 m. in height, the Rhododendron arboreum is a tree with lanceolate or oblong leaves and inflorescences with 15-20 red flowers each, in the typical species, or pink or white in some of the sub-species. The theatre of greenery Plant materials created here a very surprising awesome perspective: a grassy and winding path rises on the hill, bordered on both sides by trees, to a perspective vanishing point between high conifers. It is a modern version of the 'theatre of greenery'. On the grass carpet, some plants play an important role: the azaleas, the rhododendrons, the palms and an extraordinary old wisteria, a real natural sculpture. The bamboos garden In about 3000 square meters inspired by the principles and the techniques of the art of the Japanese garden are located more than 25 different species or variety of bamboos, some of them truly rare, in a context of great harmony, with small waterfalls, a stream, and rocks. A stone stairway, passing under a Torii portal, leads to an area divided into two floors: the upper, surrounded by giant bamboos woods is an oasis of calm and quietness where it's possible to appreciate all the different lights, sounds, colors deriving, in the different hours of a day, from the serene union of water and bamboos. Ferns valley The skilful hand of a landscape architect had been able to transform a common natural ravine in a wonderful environment with the purpose of amazing the visitor, thanks to the addition of lindens, plane-trees and exotic plants such as the arborescent and palmiform big ferns coming from Australia. The view from the terrace at the end of this valley is astonishing and of a great charm. The Rock garden It is a distinctive herbaceous lay out, made up by an upper crown of shrubs of excellent ornamental impact. Underneath there is a mosaic of herbaceous perennials - spring and summer flowering – alongside various species of palms coming from different parts of the world. In the east area rock garden , displayed between stones and crevices, there is a considerable number of cacti and other succulents whose species belong to about 15 different genera, they are planted in this area during the good season and taken back to the glass house when it starts to get too cold. The old garden On the left of the villa, after crossing a bridge over a brook, it's possible to visit the old garden. This area may seem less spectacular than the rest of the park but it's really rich in romantic suggestions. The old garden, in fact, preserves till nowadays the original structure of the park with its central path and the giant plane-trees, celebrated by the famous French writer Stendhal. Here is also located the fountain of the Dwarves, curious building in a baroque taste with statues, stairs and waterfalls. The museum of agricultural tools To preserve the historical memories of the ancient agricultural and gardening techniques and of several generations of very skilful gardeners, an exhibition of old tools, once used in Villa Carlotta, is displayed in a lovingly restored greenhouse. This selection include a press, a tub, a fire fighting pump, some sieves, watering cans and barrels, a few wheelbarrows and all the tools required for the production of wine, and honey, to name but a few. STOWE LANDSCAPE GARDENS In the 1690s, Stowe had a modest early-baroque parterre garden, owing more to Italy than to France, but it has not survived, and, within a relatively short time, Stowe became widely renowned for its magnificent gardens created by Lord Cobham. The Landscape garden was created in three main phases, showing the development of garden design in 18th-century England (this is the only garden where all three designers worked): 1) 1711-1735 Charles BRIDGEMAN (garden designer) + John VANBRUGH/GIBBS (architects) Designed a baroque park 2) 1731 William KENT worked with Bridgeman, whose last designs are dated 1735. After that, Kent took over as garden designer. He built temples, bridges, and other garden structures with Gibbs. His masterpiece at Stowe is the Elysian Fields with its Temple of Ancient virtue. Palladian style 3) 1741-1751 CAPABILITY BROWN became head gardener. Worked with Gibbs until 1749, then with Kent. Bridgeman’s octagonal pond and lake were extended and given a naturalistic shape A Palladian bridge was built in 1744 (probably Gibb’s design) Brown contrived a Grecian Valley = abstract composition of landform and woodland developed the Hawkwell Field, with Gibbs’s Gothic Temple naturalizing the landscape There are two main entrances to the Park, the Grand Avenue, from Buckingham to the south and the Oxford Avenue from the south-west, which leads to the forecourt of the house. The Grand Avenue was created in the 1770s, 100 feet (30 m) in width and one and half miles in length, lined originally with elm trees. The elms succumbed in the 1970s to Dutch elm disease and were replaced with alternate beech & chestnut trees. The Grand Avenue by the Corinthian Arch turns to the west to join the Queen's Drive that connects to the Oxford Avenue just below the Boycott Pavilions. The Oxford Avenue was planted in the 1790s, and sold to the National Trust in 1985 by the great-great grandson of the 3rd Duke, Robert Richard Grenville Close-Smith (1936–1992), a local landowner. Close-Smith was the grandson During the 20th century the garden was abandoned and fell into disrepair.[24] They were purchased by Chris and Karen Cronin,[17] who started restoring them in Summer 2000,[24] including restoring many buildings and the greenhouses.[17] They opened to the public for the first time in August 2014.[2] They are privately operated, not being part of the National Trust.[17] Glass Houses[edit] Over the last three centuries the garden has had a number of garden houses, forcing pits and framed structures recorded in Croome's archives. Today, The Walled Gardens showcases the fully restored melon and cucumber house and the peach and fig house, alongside the converted vinery house. The foundations still remain from the original tomato house, forcing beds, pineapple pits, and orchard house all which will be restored in years to come. After three years of dedicated restoration the melon and cucumber house now channels the rain water from its roof into a large storage tank under the terrace which is then pumped inside through a network of pipes to water an array of produce from vines to bananas, fully supporting the owners' ethos of sustainable and eco-friendly living. The mechanical inventions of the 18th century have been put to their test in the peach and fig house, with the creation of bespoke steel winding mechanisms to open and close groups of sash and hinging panels, mimicking the old brass rollers now replaced with oil impregnated nylon in stainless steel housings.[citation needed] Dipping Pond[edit] Commissioned by Capability Brown and constructed in 1764, The Dipping Pond is one of the gardens most significant features listed in the Croome Archives. It acquired its name from the function of dipping buckets to collect water to distribute around the garden, and for the nearby horse stable block. As a crucially significant element of the gardens history, The Dipping Pond has undergone extensive restoration. It has been completely rebuilt with the addition of a new pressurised water system that has been linked up to a redundant well nearby, creating a pumping station for watering the future vegetable beds within the gardens. As a by- product of capturing pure rain water, the Dipping Pond has become a new haven for various forms of wildlife, with some rare species of frogs and newts being spotted.[citation needed] The Hot Wall[edit] A key phase in English garden history between the late 1700s and early 1800s saw the introduction of hot walls and heated cavity walls. This became extinct by 1845 due to the abolishment of a glass tax and emerging technology in hot houses. The hot wall at The Walled Gardens, constructed in 1806, is the largest of its kind, stretching nearly 100 metres in length and 3 metres in height. Much like the later Glass Houses and forcing beds, the purpose of creating a non-indigenous climate within the gardens was to propagate and extend the growing seasons for fruits and vegetables. The orientation to the wall is sympathetic to the rise and fall of the sun, not simply east to west, but to maximise heat and light against its southern face. However, sun was not the sole source for the heat of this wall; during the restoration five underground furnaces were discovered that spread along the northern face of the wall. The furnaces were all backfilled with cobble stones, which now make up the beautifully cobbled garden paths.[citation needed] The east- and south-facing borders[edit] Both borders have unique attributes serving very different purposes. The east-facing border boasts 150 metres of length and features a curved inline to the northern end of the wall as it adjoins to the Head Gardeners Cottage. This border is significant in many respects because of its orientation to both the sun and its immediate environment. Currently this border houses an eclectic mixture of hardy shrubs and delicate flowers with Morello cherries, plums and heritage roses fighting for superiority against the wall. The south-facing border extends from the end of the old Vinery to the northeastern corner of the gardens. Traditionally this wall is used mainly for growing exotic fruits, including peaches, nectarines, apricots and pears. In 2007 it was extended to border out its full depth; unlike the east-facing border a mixture of flowers and vegetables are grown here. Curiously, the leafy plants that grow against the wall, known as Echium, are native to North Africa and are known to grow on only the extreme south-west tip of Cornwall and nowhere else in the UK.[citation needed] Woodland[edit] This was formerly the estate's dumping ground, and significant history has been pieced together from the materials recovered from the woodland. Several archaeological digs have been conducted revealing 200 years' worth of bottles, porcelain, masonry and iron artefacts stacked on top of each other. Park Croome Park has a man-made lake and river, statues, temples and other buildings with the Court as the central focus. The other buildings around the park include Gatehouses, a Grotto, a Church and buildings termed "eye-catchers". These are Pirton Castle, Panorama Tower, Dunstall Castle and Park Seat. They are set away from the core of the Park and are intended to draw the eye into the wider landscape.[citation needed] The park was Capability Brown's first complete landscape,[25] and was set out from 1751 onwards. Croome and Hagley Hall have more folliesand other similar features than any estate in Worcestershire.[26] A lot of the park was designed to be viewed from the Croome Court house.[2]Robert Adam, along with James Wyatt, designed temples and follies for the park.[citation needed] A family trust, Croome Estate Trustees, was set up by the George Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry, to manage the house and estate. In the mid-1970s the trust transferred ownership of the central core of the park to George William Coventry, 11th Earl of Coventry; in 1981 he sold it to Sun Alliance. The National Trust bought 670 acres (270 ha) of parkland in 1996, using heritage lottery funding along with a donation from Sun Alliance; the rest of Sun Alliance's property at the estate was sold to the Society of Merchant Venturers.[15] The National Trust owns and has restored the core of the original 18th-century parkland, and it is open to visitors throughout the year. To visit many of the features below, you have to enter the pay-for-entry National Trust parkland. Some areas, however, are accessible via public footpaths which can be tracked on OS map 150. St Mary Magdalene Church This Grade I listed building was built in 1763 by Capability Brown for the Earl of Coventry. A medieval church nearer the Court was demolished to make way for this church, the interior of which was designed by Robert Adam.[citation needed] The Rotunda Described as a "garden room", the Rotunda was designed by Brown and built between 1754 and 1757. The door and windows are pedimented and inside is a coffered ceiling and stuccowork by Francesco Vassalli in 1761.[27] The joinery was by John Hobcroft. The Portland-stone panels above the windows and door are Robert Adam's design and were carved by Sefferin Alker and added in 1763.[28] It is located in the shrubbery, 350 metres (1,150 ft) east of the mansion, and overlooks the parkland, with views to the Park Seat to the south. It is Grade 1 listed. It was purchased by the Croome Heritage Trust in 2007, at the same time as the main house, and restoration was under way in 2009, funded by a Natural England grant.[22] Some of the cedar trees that shelter it were planted at the same time it was built.[28] The exterior has been restored in 2010 by the National Trust. The Park Seat The Park Seat, also known as The Owl's Nest,[22] was designed by Robert Adam in 1770 as a viewing station for the park.[29] It was restored by the National Trust using a Natural England grant.[19] The London Arch London Arch is main entrance to the park.[29] It was designed by Robert Adam in the 1770s. It gained its name from the carriages that used to pass under it from guests travelling from London.[30] It once had railings on either side, which are thought to have been removed during the Second World War.[29] Restoration of it started in 2013, including repairing of water damage to the central masonry, with the restoration due to last 5 years. Ha-Ha Ice House Temple Greenhouse Temple Greenhouse was designed by Robert Adam.This Grade I listed building was completed in 1763. It used to have large sash windows in the front of it, now only the grooves where they used to slide can be seen. It housed the Earl's collection of exotic plants and was heated in the winter by a fire lit in a brick bothy at the back, then the heat was channelled underneath through gaps in the floor. Around the Lake The grotto and various features were designed by Capability Brown.[26] 50,000 cubic metres of silt and vegetation were removed when restoring the lake. Nearby are the Punch Bowl gates designed by Wyatt in 1793 to 1794. On one of the islands in the lake is the temple pavilion (1776–1777). Island Pavilion London Lodge Worchester Lodge Worcester Lodge was designed around 1800, probably by James Wyatt. It has been a Grade II listed building since 11 August 1952.[32] It was built in 1801 and subsequently rebuilt in 1879. This sat on the main road to Croome from Worcester. A carriage drive used to run from the lodge directly to the Punch Bowl Gates in the Park itself and onto the Court beyond. The driveway no longer exists and the lodge is now cut off from the rest of the Park by the construction of the M5 motorway. Today, the lodge is a private residence and not part of the National Trust owned Park. Further down the road on the same side of the M5 is the keeper's house of the menagerie Panorama Tower A circular eyecatcher temple,[22] the Panorama Tower was designed by James Wyatt in 1801 using design ideas by Robert Adam.[26] The building was not completed until after the 6th Earl of Coventry's death, probably in 1812.[33] It is located on Cubsmoor, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the mansion. It has views over the park and surrounding landscape, [22] and it was used in hunting as a viewing platform.[29] Grade 1 listed, it was in poor condition in 2009, and was undergoing essential repairs. [22] It was purchased by the National Trust in 2009, and restoration of it was funded by a grant from Natural England. It is a prominent landmark that can be seen from the M5 motorway. The watercolour design, signed by James Wyatt, survives.[19] It is situated on Knight's Hill at the very edge of the park. The building had been in deterioration for decades. It is a circular two- storey building with a central interior staircase leading up to a viewing platform under a domed roof where there are views across Worcestershire to the Malvern Hills. The Tower is now separated from the rest of the park and Court, like the Worcester Lodge. Pirton Castle Pirton Castle is an eyecatcher and belvedere[34] designed by James Wyatt[19] and built by William Stephens in 1797 as an ivy-clad Gothic ruin.[35] The watercolour design, signed by James Wyatt in 1801, survives.[34] It is a Grade II listed building since 14 June 1985.[36] It was purchased by the National Trust in 2009,[34] and restoration of it was funded by a grant from Natural England.[19] It was restored by Midland Conservation, who stabilised the structure, removed destructive vegetation from it, and repaired the masonry – including repointing it, and rebuilding the upper levels. Restoration was completed in August 2009.[34] It is located on Rabbit Bank, a prominent ridge in the landscape at Pirton to the north of the park and Court. The building was constructed among a row of Cedar of Lebanon trees, many of which still stand today along the ridge. Pirton Castle is a feature from the M5 motorway northbound, which cuts through the park. Dunstall Castle Dunstall Castle was constructed in 1766–1767, and resembles a ruined castle.[26] It was designed by either Sanderson Miller,[22] or Robert Adam[19] as an eye catcher,[37] and it is located on Dunstall Common, Earls Croome. In 2009 the stonework was in bad condition, and essential repairs were under way. It is Grade II* listed.[22] It was purchased by the National Trust in 2009, and restoration of it was funded by a grant from Natural England.[19] It is cut off from the park as it is hidden by trees from within the park. The stones from the tops of the three towers have fallen off so that now about a metre is missing from the central tower. The right arch also had a wall at the bottom which has disappeared if compared with original pictures of the castle, however, some restoration has now taken place. SISSINGHURST – WHITE GARDEN The White Garden at Sissinghurst provides inspiration for planting schemes using a sample palette. The White Garden at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent was first designed six decades ago by writer and poet Vita Sackville-West. A profusion of radiant white flowers amid silver, grey and green foliage creates a picture of ethereal romance on a summer’s day. Scent fills the air above borders frothing over with blooms. It is a breathtakingly beautiful sight. This is a garden of simple elegance, expressed through complex planting. It makes the most of the freshness and purity of white. “I visualise the white trumpets of dozens of Regale lilies, grown three years ago from seed, coming through the grey of southernwood, artemisia and cotton-lavender...,” wrote Vita. Her vision included silvery mats of Stachys lanata, white pansies, peonies and irises. All these plants continue to thrive today as part of a living, changing composition. Different textures and forms add distinction to the restricted colour scheme. Measuring just 40ft (12m) by 115ft (35m), the scale of the garden is modest. The majority of the plants at Sissinghurst sit well in gardens or borders surrounding less grand homes. White in all its shades An all-white planting scheme adds a touch of refinement to any border. There is no risk of one shade clashing with another. It has a singular intensity arising from the sheer concentration of one colour, but in many hues. “A great advantage of white is that there are so many different shades, but you have to keep the plants very fresh-looking. Faded white does not look good,” says Troy Scott Smith, Sissinghurst’s head gardener. This applies to a single border as much as it does at Sissinghurst. In fact, white is rarely totally pure, but a greatly toned down version of a specific colour. Apparently white blossom carries a pink tint, daffodils a creamy one. Sea hollies are blue in tone and nicotiana often carries hints of green. Herbaceous perennials are the mainstay of a limited colour garden or border, combined with scores of roses, climbers, shrubs and bulbs. Individual plants stand out from the crowd by virtue of contrasts between colour tone and form. At Sissinghurst, erect spires of lilies, delphiniums, foxgloves ad Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Album’ contrast beautifully against the soft, rounded shapes of phlox, peonies and hydrangeas. Actors on a stage Vita’s vision for the garden was of “a low sea of grey clumps of foliage, pierced here and there with tall white flowers”. In keeping with this, the White Garden features many plants that send up flower spires. Lustrous white delphiniums are one of her original choice, rising like altar candles. “Cutting back the main flower spikes once past their best encourages smaller, side shoots, prolonging flowering,” advises Troy. These are joined by white campanulas, foxgloves, mallows, rosebay willowherb and veronicastrum. The delicate creamy-white flowers of perennial herb meadowsweet fill the air with their strong, sweet smell. Within the overall picture, different plants play specific roles, in terms of structure or juxtaposition to others. There are those that create a white haze, subtly linking divergent plant forms and levels. These include Gillenia trifoliata with its masses of tiny, wayward flowers. At its feet, spreading plants such as violas, hardy geraniums and creeping forget-me-not cover the earth. These serve a double purpose, retaining moisture while stifling weeds. Spontaneity comes from self-seeders such as honesty and love-in-a mist. From dwarves to giants Vita achieved an almost effortless lavishness. “Always exaggerate rather than stint,” she wrote. A key factor when packing in plants in any border or garden is the careful gradation of heights. This starts from low-growing ground cover rising to border giants such as Crambe cordifolia, greater sea kale, which erupts into a cloud of tiny white flowers in summer. “After flowering, it can leave a hole, but the cut stems create a convenient cage to support climbing plants such as everlasting peas,” says Troy. Climbers are used to add height in borders, as well as clothe walls. One of the most prolific is Cobaea scandens ‘Alba’, the cup-and-saucer vine. A vigorous plant, it happily scales a wall with support and can grow up to 20ft (6m). It has exotic white flowers that look like a cup sitting on a saucer. Roses galore The White Garden is contained on three sides by ancient brick walls, their mellow earthy tones weathered by lichen. There are many roses, in particular Rosa mulliganii. This is one of the largest tree climbing roses, here trained over a central arbour. “The original rose is about 40 years old and no longer drips in flowers. Roses dislike being in the same soil for too long, so we have added some new plants,” explains Troy. The brick walls are ideal for climbing and rambling roses, such as ‘Madame Alfred Carrière’. ‘Princesse de Nassau’ is trained over the corner pergola. Its semi-double white flowers appear from August. All would be at home in any white border, as long as they are kept pruned and within the space allotted to them. Within the box-edged beds there are rose bushes, including several from Vita’s list. These include ‘White Wings’ with papery-white single blooms and Rosa pimpinellifolia, a very old, low-growing, dense rose with single white flowers. One that does not feature is ‘Iceberg’, a stalwart of many garden borders. “We’ve taken it out even though it’s a good doer, but it was not on Vita’s list,” says Troy. “It is too white, too strident, and took all the attention.” Importance of leaves and bark Foliage plants are a vital ingredient to a single colour garden or border. Foliage acts as both a foil to flower colour and a calming backdrop that unifies different elements. It reinforces the tonal variations, adding structure amidst effervescence. To complement shades of white, gardeners can choose from foliage that varies from a myriad of greens to greys, such as pewter, leaden or steely. In between are silvers that veer between near white to pearly in intensity. The tone of individual white flowers affects the choice of foliage partners. Cool papery white blooms stand out better against lively greens. Warmer ivory tones blend well with soft pewter greys. Small trees with silver bark or foliage include birches, equally at home in a smaller white garden. Other silvery plants include the sea holly, Eryngium giganteum, and Stachys byzantina with its soft woolly leaves, hence the common name ‘Lamb’s Ears’. Large- scale leafy plants include silvery-blue Melianthus major, the honey bush, which Vita considered very dramatic. “We tried it most timidly. We thought it wasn’t going to be hardy and put mountains of straw and manure over it to keep it. However it seemed to be absolutely hardy without having any qualms.” For grey foliage, the artemisia family is invaluable. Silvery wormwood, A. arborescens, forms clumps to nearly a metre in height. For low-growing mounds, there is A. absinthium, which forms 20in (50cm) high clumps of finely divided greyish-green foliage. The dwarf A. schmidtiana ‘Nana’ barely reaches 4in (10cm) tall, but slowly spreads to form grey, feathery ground cover. “We regularly take cuttings because some varieties struggle through wet winters. Artemisia arborescens has to be replaced every year,” says Troy. With its flowers in many shades of white, grey and green, all playing a role in conjunction with texture and form, this is a garden filled with inspiration. Plants of different heights and spreads all have a role to play in the overall effect of abundance and (1880-1962), only some traces of this garden landscape remained visible, notably in the large lawn behind the house and in various groups of trees. After the death of Queen Wilhelmina, a decision was taken in 1970 to convert the palace into a museum. The buildings dating from the 19th and 20th centuries were removed and the palace and parts of the interior restored to their 17th century condition. This work also included reconstruction of the baroque garden. Reconstruction of the garden was possible due to the availability of a large number of historical sources. Descriptions by contemporaries, historical engravings and drawings, bills and lists of plants gave valuable insight into the condition of the garden in the 17th century. Excavation work also brought much information to light although it sometimes deviated from the historical illustrations. The description and notes recorded by Walter Harris, William III’s personal physician, were an exceptional stroke of luck which proved to be of great value. At the request of Mary II, Harris made exact notes on everything he saw. These were published in book form in 1699. In May 1980, reconstruction of the garden walls began and over the following years the whole stone structure which gives the park its unmistakable character was built. Experimental parterres were laid out in the palace nursery so that some experience in planting the parterres could be gained and many plants which were later used in the garden were taken from there. Research was also carried out as to which plants were common at the time and how they were planted. Many surprising things came to light during this work. Until shortly before the opening, there was a lack of financial means to rebuild the last piece of the garden – the colonnades. However, it was possible to reconstruct them just in time due to support from business. VILLANDRY – FRANCE The Wood Situated above the level of the gardens, the wood covers a walled area of approximately three hectares. It is a pleasant place to stroll and offers a very different view of the gardens, looking down on them through plant cover. At Villandry, the wood highlights more than anywhere else the contrast between untamed nature and the ultimate domesticated setting of the gardens. In 2003, it was embellished with a wooden belvedere, which is reached by a steep but charming path, under the cover of tall trees. The Ornamental Garden – First Salon The gardens of Villandry adjoin the chateau’s façades. They are split between three levels, each containing a different kind of garden: the Kitchen Garden, the Water Garden and the Ornamental Garden. Like an extension of the interior salons, the Ornamental Garden is itself divided into salons of greenery. The design of this part of the gardens is the work of Sevillian artist Lozano, assisted by painter and landscape architect Javier de Winthuysen. Closest to the chateau is the first salon, composed of four beds. In the Andalusian style, its plant structure traces geometric shapes to form the “Love Gardens”. Tender Love is symbolised by the hearts separated by flames of love in the corners of the square. At the centre are masks which were worn at balls to conceal the face, enabling their wearers to engage in all sorts of conversation, from the most serious to the most light-hearted. Passionate Love: Still hearts, but this time they are broken out of passion. The clumps of box are entangled to form a maze, further evoking the dance and whirlwind of passion. Flighty Love: The four fans in the corners symbolise the fickleness of the sentiments. Between the fans are the horns representing betrayed love and, in the centre, the love letters and sweet notes exchanged by lovers. The predominant colour in this square is yellow, the symbol of betrayed love. Lastly, Tragic Love: The designs represent the blades of daggers and swords used in duels caused by amorous rivalry. In summer, the flowers are red to symbolise the blood shed in these combats. On the left, in the centre: a design easily recognisable as the Maltese Cross. Behind this cross, to the right, is the Cross of Languedoc and, to the left, the Basque Cross. Lastly are the highly stylised fleur-de-lys lining the moat. For a good view of the whole, it is best to go up to the belvedere, from where one looks down over all of these gardens. The Audience The “Audience” is a small, slate-roofed, neoclassical pavilion built in the 18th century by the Marquis of Castellane, on the south side of the estate. This kind of ornamental structure, known as a fabrique, was one of the elements of 18th- century French formal gardens (“jardins à la française”). In this charming building, the Marquis would “grant an audience” to the farmers and peasants who worked his lands. It was completely renovated in 2004. The Water Garden Above the Ornamental Garden, at the far south of the estate, is the Water Garden. This boulingrin, or sunken garden, bordered with grassy banks known as glacis, consists of an ornamental pond at the centre in the form of a Louis XV mirror, embellished here and there with square parterres of lawn, a network of perpendicular avenues and four secondary ornamental ponds. The present-day Water Garden dates from the early 20th century. The original ornamental pond was built when the gardens of Villandry were transformed into a jardin à la française (formal garden) in the 18th century. The redevelopment of the grounds in the 19th century in the romantic English style led to the classical ornamental pond being replaced by one with more natural lines. Drawing on 18th-century designs, Joachim Carvallo recreated the ornamental pond and gave this area the clear, regular appearance it has today. The Sun Garden The Sun Garden occupies the only part of the Villandry estate which hitherto did not contain a garden. It stands in what used to be a meadow surrounded by lime trees, on the chateau’s highest terrace. Between 1908 and 1918, Joachim Carvallo recreated the Chateau of Villandry’s Renaissance gardens, in place of the 19th-century “jardin à l’anglaise” (English-style landscaped garden). He had come up with the design for this terrace. To mark the centenary of the recreation of the Renaissance gardens, the current owner Henri Carvallo wanted to produce this garden based on his great-grandfather Joachim’s design. The Sun Garden respects the general principles for the structure of the gardens of Villandry, forming a cloister of greenery made up of three chambers: The Children’s Chamber, where there are outdoor games and decorative apple trees, The Sun Chamber, the central part of the garden, with a sun-shaped ornamental pond, the eight-pointed star designed by Joachim Carvallo, and beds of perennials, The Cloud Chamber , where little grassy avenues forming triangles wind their way amidst rosebushes and shrubs. For this garden, Henri Carvallo called on the services of Louis Benech, one of France’s leading landscape architects, who designed the garden of triangles and chose the collection of perennials. Alix de Saint-Venant, landscape architect and owner of the Chateau of Valmer, designed the garden’s overall structure. Arnaud de Saint-Jouan, head architect at the Historic Monuments department, designed the sun- shaped ornamental pond, the garden’s focal point. The designs were executed entirely by the Chateau of Villandry’s team of gardeners. The work began in winter 2006/2007. The inauguration took place on 20 June 2008. The Maze Set on the second terrace, Villandry’s maze, or labyrinth, is formed of hornbeam hedges, known as charmilles. It is based on the designs of Renaissance gardens, in which the labyrinth was a crucial element. It is a reference to the Labyrinth thought up by Daedalus to conceal the Minotaur, but it does not have the same meaning. The Greek Labyrinth was a place where men would get lost and endlessly search for a way out in the midst of ambushes and dead ends. In contrast, the Renaissance hedge maze was, in the Christian spirit, a place of progression, where the path taken by the walker symbolised the progress of life and the centre of the maze, on an elevated plane, stood for the encounter with God. The Ornamental Garden – Second Salon Designed as an extension of the salons of the Chateau of Villandry, the Ornamental Garden is laid out over the second terrace, between the Kitchen Garden and the Water Garden. A channel divides the Ornamental Garden into two salons of greenery, known as the First Salon and Second Salon. The Renaissance design of this part of the gardens of Villandry is the result of a collaboration between the Sevillian artist Lozano and the painter and landscape architect Javier de Winthuysen for the First Salon, while the Second Salon was designed by Joachim Carvallo. The designs of the parterres of these salons clearly evoke the Andalusian style. The Second Salon of box uses symbolism to evoke music. The large triangles represent lyres, alongside which are harps. Topiary completes the scene. Here, yews clipped in the shape of candelabras illuminate the sheet music. The belvedere in the Wood overlooking the gardens is the ideal viewpoint from which to contemplate the richness of the embroidery motifs, known as broderies. The Kitchen Garden The Ornamental Kitchen Garden is the high point of the gardens of Villandry. In a purely Renaissance style, it consists of nine patches all of the same size, but each with a different geometric motif of vegetables and flowers. The patches are planted with vegetables in alternating colours – blue leek, red cabbage and beetroot, jade green carrot tops, etc. – giving the impression of a multicoloured chessboard. Joachim Carvallo paid particular attention to the design of the Kitchen Garden, as shown by the scientific approach he took to providing the freshly restored chateau with fitting gardens. By crossing the results of archeological digs, old plans and literary sources such as Les Plus Excellents Bâtiments de France by Jacques I Androuet du Cerceau and the Monasticum Gallicanum, Carvallo gained an insight into how the gardens might have been in the 16th century. The vegetable garden has its origins in the Middle Ages. Monks liked to lay out their vegetable patches in geometric shapes. The many crosses in the Kitchen Garden at Villandry evoke these monastic origins. In addition, to liven up their patches, the monks would add rose plants, whose blooms also served to decorate the statues of the Virgin Marie. According to an old tradition, the roses, planted symmetrically, symbolise the monk digging his vegetable patch. The second influence comes from Italy. In the Renaissance, Italian gardens were enriched with decorative elements, fountains, arbours and flower beds, skillfully laid out to divert the stroller, thus transforming the “jardin utilitaire“, or ‘utilitarian garden’, into a “jardin d’agrément“, or ‘ornamental garden’. French gardeners in the 16th century thus combined these two sources of inspiration – French monastic and Italian – to create the garden they needed for roses and the new vegetables from the Americas, which they called a “potager décoratif”, or ‘decorative kitchen garden’. Here are some technical details about the Kitchen Garden: Two plantings are made each year: one in spring, which remains in place from March to June; the other in summer, from June to November. Forty species of vegetable belonging to eight plant families are used each year. The layout of the vegetables changes with each planting, both for the purpose of achieving harmony of colours and forms, and due to horticultural constraints requiring triennial crop rotation to avoid exhausting the soil. Watering is carried out by an automatic irrigation system buried in the ground. The Herb Garden Between the Kitchen Garden and the Church lies the Herb Garden. A traditional garden of the Middle Ages, it is devoted to aromatic, culinary and medicinal herbs. The fragrances that emanate from the beds recall the walled gardens of monasteries in medieval times. The Herb Garden at Villandry was designed by Joachim Carvallo, but it was laid much later, in the 1970s, by his grandson and wife, Robert and Marguerite Carvallo. The plants are cultivated in circular beds, symbols of eternity, while the paths intersect at right angles to form crosses. A good thirty plant varieties are to be found here, in amongst beds of flowers. The Village and Church The village of Villandry is not lacking in charm. With its Romanesque church and 15th-century cottages on either side of charming lanes, Villandry is a pleasant village that is well worth a visit. The 11th- and 12th-century church dedicated to St Stephen is home to a fine pipe organ, donated in the late 19th century by Stéphanie Oudinot, wife of Baron Hainguerlot, the then owner of the chateau. It was in this very church that Joachim Carvallo was buried, in 1936. VERSAILLES In 1661 Louis XIV entrusted André Le Nôtre with the creation and renovation of the gardens of Versailles, which he considered just as important as the Palace. Work on the gardens was started at the same time as the work on the palace and lasted for 40 or so years. During this time André Le Nôtre collaborated with the likes of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Superintendant of Buildings to the King from 1664 to 1683, who managed the project, and Charles Le Brun, who was made First Painter to the King in January 1664 and provided the drawings for a large number of the statues and fountains. Last but not least, each project was reviewed by the King himself, who was keen to see “every detail”. Not long after, the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, having been made First Architect to the King and Superintendant of Buildings, built the Orangery and simplified the outlines of the Park, in particular by modifying or opening up some of the groves. Creating the gardens was a monumental task. Large amounts of soil had to be shifted to level the ground, create parterres, build the Orangery and dig out the fountains and Canal in places previously occupied solely by meadows and marshes. Trees were brought in from different regions of France. Thousands of men, sometimes even entire regiments, took part in this immense project. To maintain the design, the garden needed to be replanted approximately once every 100 years. Louis XVI did so at the beginning of his reign, and the undertaking was next carried out during the reign of Napoleon III. Following damage caused by a series of storms in the late 20th century, including one in December 1999, which was the most devastating, the garden has been fully replanted and now boasts a fresh, youthful appearance similar to how it would have looked to Louis XIV. Parterres and Paths At the foot of the Palace on the garden side there are three large parterres: North Parterre, South Parterre and Water Parterre. The latter is composed of two large rectangular pools. From here the North and South Parterres, as well as Latona’s Parterre, can be seen from above, offering a point of view which best shows off their intricate patterns designed by Le Nôtre. André Le Nôtre designed the gardens of Versailles around two major axes: north-south and east-west. The first of these begins at the Neptune Fountain and continues along the Water Walk towards the Orangery and ends at the Lake of the Swiss Guards. The second, called the Grande Perspective, crosses the gardens like a line of symmetry. It stretches beyond Latona’s Fountain and follows the Royal Way up to the Grand Canal. The optical effects and the surprises created are characteristic of the “French garden”, a formal style which the Gardener to the King mastered perfectly and which he made great use of in Versailles and in particular along this perspective. The central section of the Palace is bordered by two parterres whose broad designs help showcase the façades of the building. The North Parterre is accessed by a step flanked by two bronze statues on either side, cast in 1688 by the Keller brothers: The Grinder and Modest Venus. It is divided into two large sections each with a circular pool in the centre. To the north, it leads to the Pyramid Fountain made by the sculptor François Girardon based on a design by Charles Le Brun. This fountain, positioned in the centre of the pool, took three years to complete. It is composed of three tiers of lead basins held up by lead Tritons, dolphins and crayfish. The South Parterre, also called the Jardin des Fleurs (Flower Garden), tempts the eye south to a balustrade from which the Orangery Parterre can be admired from above. The central section of the parterre can be reached by a massive pylons and iron-shod doors. The garden is compositionally connected with the architecture of the Grand Palace. The central part has a matching parterre with lawns, including three pools with fountains, located on the central axis. On the sides of the parterre, there are two square ponds and three symmetrically situated shrubberies, circled with trimmed bushes. According to the principle of planning, there are square, oblique and circle shruberries. Since the times of Anna Ioanovna, the Upper Garden is adorned with five fountains, in the shrubberies by the eastern pond, there is a rosarium and by the western one, Peter I's pharmacy garden was re-edified, with tutsan, oregano, echinacea, lemon balm, mint and other medicinal herbs, growing on its soil beds. The Upper Garden is a beautiful example of the regular style park construction. Its geometrical layout is featured by the straight alleys of trimmed lindens, the berceau-galleries entwined with greenery, green lawns, and enflamed by the thujas in shapes of balls and cones. The mandatory elements of the regular parks is sculpture. The most interesting baroque sculptural group is "Neptune", situated in the central pool. It was made in Germany in the 1650's, acquired by the emperor Pavel I, and has experienced many adventures in its lifetime. The small cascade on the south side of the pool, is decorated with the bronze statue of Appolo Belvedere. The parterre is enliven with expressive silhouettes of the marble sculptures of the god of gardens Vertumnus, the goddess of fertility Pomona, the god of the warm wind Zephyr and Flora, the goddess of spring. These are the works of the Italian sculptor of the XVIII century, Antonio Bonazza. As a result of complex restoration, conducted on the basis of the historical documents in the 1860's, the Upper Garden became one of the best examples of restoration of regular parks of the XVIII century. - FOUNTAINS: Square Ponds Fountains, Mezheumny Fountain, Oak Fountain, Neptune Fountain Lower Park The Lower Park was created based on examples of the regular gardens, and preserved all the features of its French originals. Even though many of the decorative elements have now disappeared, time could not destroy the marvellous architectural harmony of the garden, created by J.-B. Le Blond, a talented student of the creator of the Versailles gardens, A. Le Nostre. The Lower Park is divided into three connecting parts: central ("Grand"), western ("Marly") and eastern ("Monplaisir"). The plan of the Lower Park is defined by the two systems of alleys, parting in a principle of a fan from the Grand palace and the Marly palace. The planning scheme was thought so deeply, that no garden decoration, nor a single detail is hidden from the sight of the guests. Each alley is ending at a palace or a fountain. A regular park is characterized by a symmetrical positioning of it's key constructions. The cascades are set on the hillsides - "The Great" (in the central part, at the footsteps of the Grand palace), "Chessboard Hill" (in the eastern part) and "Golden Hill" (in the western part). In front of each of them are paired fountains: "Bowl", "Roman" and "Menager". Only one of the four cascades is located in the parterre - the "Lion Cascade". It is the most recently completed because of the time of its creation. It is the epitome of the idea Peter I incorporated in the composition of the park: that each palace and pavilion should have its own matching cascade. 150 fountains decorate the park within an area of 112,5 hectares. Including the trick fountains: the "Little Oak", the "Umbrella", "Little firs", the "Water road" and "Benches", which are the most popular fountains among children and adults. In 1917, after the October revolution, Peterhof became a large educational center. During World War II, the german occupiers barbarously destroyed the palaces and the park. The reconstruction began from the first days of the liberation. And today, this nature and man-made masterpiece welcomes the guests, impressing and surprising them, just like before. In 1990, the architecture and park ensemble "Peterhof" was included in the world’s list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO, and was recognized in 2008, as one of the seven wonders of Russia. PARK GϋELL – BARCELLONA Park Güell is one of the most impressive public parks in the world. The park is located in Barcelona and was designed by famous architect Antonio Gaudi. Gaudi planned and directed the construction of the park from 1900 to 1914 for Eusebi Güell for a residential park intended for sixty single- family residences. The project, however, was unsuccessful and the park became city property in 1923. Though never fully completed, it still remains one of Gaudi’s most colorful and playful works. Park Güell, intended to serve Güell’s private city, became all of Barcelona’s, then the world’s favourite. Gaudi let loose his imagination. While for houses he drew on natural forms, here he shaped nature into colonnades, archways and covered galleries with well-camouflaged artificial structures. It’s a playground for the mind: visual jokes, like columns that simulate palm-tree trunks, rubble-surfaced arches that grow out of the ground, quilts of ceramic tiles. A graceful gazebo is made of twisted angle iron – cheap to make, looks good, does not lie about its material yet its shape is as softly curved as climbing vines. The centrepiece is the intended covered market, a majestic forest of fluted columns. Its roof forms a vast terrace with a view of the city. It’s surrounded by an undulating continuous bench, the back of which forms a balustrade, its entire surface encrusted with ceramic shards of all colours, some randomly arranged, some in patterns. The seat is unusually comfortable for a stone bench: Gaudi had a workman drop his pants and sit in soft plaster to record the correct anatomical curve – foreshadowing the science of ergonomics by half a century. Past the entrance a smiling dragon stretches in the middle of the divided stairway. Children love it and few adult visitors can resist patting the beast on the head – the park has that kind of spirit. Park Güell is one of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks. On any day, and especially on weekends, you can see hordes of tourists and locals staring awestruck at the gingerbread gatehouses and snapping photos of the giant ceramic lizard/dragon on the stairs that lead up the hillside. Below sits a reservoir for the park’s fountains. Above rests a terrace lined with an organic, tile-covered bench ergonomically designed against the back of a worker on the site. Park Güell is one of the most important sights in Barcelona and one of Gaudi’s masterpieces. Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanical Garden The Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanical Garden is home to thousands of plant species from all parts of the world. The emphasis is, however, on plants from the polar regions or the high mountains, which have difficulty surviving in the milder climates where most botanical gardens are located. With its long, snowy winters and cool, moist summers, the Tromsø climate is ideal for these plants, providing the perfect conditions for tough little plants that are a little sensitive to heat. The garden also features rock formations and areas of gravel that recreate the conditions where the hardy plants grow wild. Meconopsis – the blue favourite A variety of species and hybrids of the Tibetan blue poppy are to be found in the garden’s Himalaya section. The best- known – the giant Tibetan blue poppy (Meconopsis “Lingholm”) starts to bloom in late June, standing proud with metre-high stems and giant flowers of an intense shade of blue. There are also white, Burgundy and yellow species. There are few other botanical gardens in the world where Tibetan blue poppies thrive as well as they do here. Rhododendron valley In June, the Rhododendron valley is a palette of reds, purples, yellows and whites, with a spectacular collection of small rhododendrons. Previously, the common perception was that it was not possible to cultivate rhododendrons so far north. However, there are a number of small species that grow high up in the mountains and actually thrive in these conditions. The garden has around 60 different species as well as many hybrids and cultivated types, making the collection an absolute riot of colour. Most of the plants are originally from China, with some from the Caucasus and the Alps. Our own Lapp rose (Rhododendron lapponicum) which grows in the mountains of Inner Troms needs slightly different conditions to grow and is currently being cultivated in our Arctic collection. Arctic landscape The most impressive rocky landscape in the garden is our Arctic section, with a moraine-like ridge of huge, heavy stones. This section is reserved exclusively for plants that grow north of the polar treeline. Many species of Mountain Avens (Dryas), Narrowleaf Arnica (Arnica angustifolia) and Northern Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium boreale) dominate in June, while the Large Pink (Dianthus superbus) from East Finnmark appears in July. Cold-loving species from Svalbard are positioned on the north-facing slopes, and the collections also comprise “rescue cultivation” of species that are endangered in the wild. For example, this year the garden is working to cultivate a collection of Wilander Buttercup (Ranunculus wilanderi). This fragile flower is only to be found in one location worldwide – on Svalbard, and only 51 examples were registered at the last count. Lewisia – a flashy American In June–July the large flowers on the Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva) from the Rocky Mountains start to open. The plant grows a rosette of succulent leaves in the spring. These leaves whither in the summer, making way for the rich pink flowers to appear straight from the sturdy stem. To visitors, it looks like someone has planted a large bouquet directly in the gravel. From Russia with love Previously, Kirovsk on the Kola peninsula was the site of the northernmost botanical garden in the world. When Tromsø Botanical Garden was opened, Kirovsk presented the garden with a number of plants. These are now collected in the friendship section at the top of the garden, along with other plants that arrived subsequently. The Scilla rosenii and the Siberian Fawn Lily (Erythronium sibiricum) – both bulbous plants – have formed delightful colonies that are now 17 years old. Around the pond The pond in the garden is surrounded by a south-facing stone “amphitheatre” as well as tall perennials and plants from the buttercup family. Opposite the pond, there is a stone landscape with primulas. This section presents a host of colourful species in the spring, most suited to a cool climate. Later in the year it is ablaze with other tall, sweetly smelling species that bloom in the summer and autumn. The southern hemisphere The slipper flowers (from the Calceolaria species) and the Antarctic Beech (Nothofagus antarctica) come from the southernmost tip of South America. The thorn-like leaf tips of the Aciphylla species from New Zealand (incredibly, a type of parsley) were developed by the plant as protection against being eaten by the large numbers of birds that previously fed on the grassy meadows there. New Zealand has no indigenous mammals, nor marsupials. Animals do graze the grasslands today, but the flightless moa bird and its descendants have unfortunately long since become extinct. Africans in the north In the southernmost part of this area, you can also see surprisingly many species from South Africa, including the White-eyed Ice Plant, (Delosperma basuticum), which thrives as long as it is planted in dry mountain cracks. Traditional garden plants of Northern Norway One of the purposes of the garden is to preserve the garden traditions of Northern Norway. Well-known, traditional decorative plants make up large collections, including Wolf’s Bane (Aconitum napellus), old species of rose, and White Bachelor’s Buttons (Ranunculus aconitifolius). Herbs, medicinal plants and love A nearby collection features herbs, medicinal plants and plants used in sorcery. A heart-shaped bed is home to the most important plants of all – plants for love. SANSSOUCI PARK – BERLIN, GERMAN The Terraced Gardens The panoramic vista of the garden of Sanssouci is the result of Frederick the Great's decision to create a terraced vineyard on the south slope of the hills of Bornstedt. The area had previously been wooded but the trees were felled during the reign of the "soldier-king" Frederick William I to allow the city of Potsdam to expand. On 10 August 1744, Frederick ordered the bare hillside to be transformed into terraced vineyards. Three wide terraces were created, with convex centres to maximise the sun light (see plan). On the partitions of the supporting walls, the brickwork is pierced by 168 glazed niches. Trellised vines from Portugal, Italy, France, and also from nearby Neuruppin, were planted against the brickwork, while figsgrew in the niches. The individual parts of the terrace were further divided by strips of lawn, on which were planted yew trees. Low box hedging surrounded trellised fruit, making a circular ornamental parterre. In the middle of this "wheel", 120 steps (now 132) led downward further dividing the terraces into six. Below the hill, a Baroque ornamental garden, modelled on the parterre at Versailles, was constructed in 1745. The Great Fountain was built at the centre of this garden in 1748. Frederick never saw the fountain playing because the engineers employed in the construction had little understanding of the hydraulics involved. From 1750, marble statues were placed around the basin of the fountain. This again was a feature copied from Versailles: figures of Venus, Mercury, Apollo, Diana, Juno, Jupiter, Mars and Minerva, as well as allegorical portrayals of the four elements Fire, Water, Air and Earth. Venus and Mercury, the works of the sculptor Jean Baptiste Pigalle, and two groups of hunters, allegories of the elements (wind and water) by Lambert Sigisbert Adam, were presented by Versailles's owner, the French King Louis XV. The remaining figures came from the workshop of François Gaspard Adam, a renowned sculptor in Berlin. By 1764, the French Rondel, as it came to be known, was completed.