The simplest definition for the word horticulture is the cultivation of a garden, Hortus, in Latin, means garden and cultura means cultivation. Garden cultivation is considered a form of art and, like all art forms, it has different styles.
It was in the 17th and 18th centuries that for the first time the traditional French garden style was developed during the Baroque and Rococo periods. The gardens of the era were majestic exhibitions of power and riches constructed by royalty and aristocrats for the purpose of impressing guests. You will find that traditional French garden style is very formal, they are in fact inspired by the ancient classical gardens. Spanning level ground, these geometrically shaped gardens are very well planned out in regards to their design. A common characteristic of such gardens are man-made terraces. There are also elaborately designed stairs that connect one terrace to another. French gardens often feature large water pools which provide reflective properties and are easily built given the flat landscape. Here you will find a list of the main components of traditional, formal, French garden design.
* Lawns are always contained in rectangular frames, surrounded by neat, boxed hedges.
* Flowerbeds are also geometrical in shape rectangular, oval or circular.
The French gardens which are formal have an important feature of Parterres in them. On the ground intricate geometric patterns are made using a variety of materials such as colored dirt, stones, gravel or flowers. Boxwood, lavender, and rosemary are usually used to line parterres. Exceptionally elaborate parterres are called parterres de broderies, embroidery parterres. Visitors can view parterres from garden terraces.
* The water features are most often canals and large pools. Most of these water fountains have engines to operate them.
* The French garden style included alles, or axes or rides, which were used for the walks and pathways and bordered by trees and neatly clipped hedges. Usually with a destination in mind, these paths may end at a type of garden ornament.
* French gardens feature many ornamental objects from statues and columns to birdbaths and sundials. These are placed symmetrically, at the end of an allee, for example.
* Plants: Color is the foundation of the planting pattern. French gardens predominantly use pastel colors with a touches of yellow, red or orange and some lilac and blue. Ideally, gardeners should choose plants that bloom all year round.
* Primarily French in origin, and available as an optional feature, Orangerie is a large glass-enclosed room in the garden where you'll find lemon, lime, and orange trees blooming during the cold winter months.
* Herb gardens are often included in traditional French gardens. The neat French garden style usually includes separate areas for a fruit garden, a rose garden and sometimes a herb garden too. Herb gardens can actually be integral components of a well-planned garden. Paving is used in a specific pattern a chessboard pattern or a circular pattern, laid out like the spokes of a wheel. Places to rest are in places where you can see the beauty of a garden. Rosemary, sage, lavender, marjoram, sweet bay and thyme are herbs that are very common in France.
A famous example of the traditional French formal garden style described above is the Versailles Gardens located just outside Paris. King Louis IV hired landscape architect Andr Le Ntre to create the Versailles Gardens, in 1661. Versailles's western side features gardens spanning 800 hectares or 400 acres. Not only do these gardens feature many expensive ornaments, they also boast carefully cared for lawns and numerous blooming flowers. The gardens' most fascinating feature are their 1,400 fountains. The garden was watered with water from the Seine River which was supplied by a pumping system. Still, there was never enough water to run all the fountains at once. As King Louis would enter the garden, the fountains would start. These days their hours of operation are restricted to Sundays.
Not going to France any time soon? You can still visit a traditional French garden just by stopping by the Conservatory Garden, located in the North side of Central Park in New York City.
Although the traditional formal garden style developed in France influenced garden designers throughout the world, French gardens are by no means all traditional in style. France has many less formal gardens, including the Giverney garden overflowing with blooming flowers as shown in Monet's beautiful paintings. - 16035
It was in the 17th and 18th centuries that for the first time the traditional French garden style was developed during the Baroque and Rococo periods. The gardens of the era were majestic exhibitions of power and riches constructed by royalty and aristocrats for the purpose of impressing guests. You will find that traditional French garden style is very formal, they are in fact inspired by the ancient classical gardens. Spanning level ground, these geometrically shaped gardens are very well planned out in regards to their design. A common characteristic of such gardens are man-made terraces. There are also elaborately designed stairs that connect one terrace to another. French gardens often feature large water pools which provide reflective properties and are easily built given the flat landscape. Here you will find a list of the main components of traditional, formal, French garden design.
* Lawns are always contained in rectangular frames, surrounded by neat, boxed hedges.
* Flowerbeds are also geometrical in shape rectangular, oval or circular.
The French gardens which are formal have an important feature of Parterres in them. On the ground intricate geometric patterns are made using a variety of materials such as colored dirt, stones, gravel or flowers. Boxwood, lavender, and rosemary are usually used to line parterres. Exceptionally elaborate parterres are called parterres de broderies, embroidery parterres. Visitors can view parterres from garden terraces.
* The water features are most often canals and large pools. Most of these water fountains have engines to operate them.
* The French garden style included alles, or axes or rides, which were used for the walks and pathways and bordered by trees and neatly clipped hedges. Usually with a destination in mind, these paths may end at a type of garden ornament.
* French gardens feature many ornamental objects from statues and columns to birdbaths and sundials. These are placed symmetrically, at the end of an allee, for example.
* Plants: Color is the foundation of the planting pattern. French gardens predominantly use pastel colors with a touches of yellow, red or orange and some lilac and blue. Ideally, gardeners should choose plants that bloom all year round.
* Primarily French in origin, and available as an optional feature, Orangerie is a large glass-enclosed room in the garden where you'll find lemon, lime, and orange trees blooming during the cold winter months.
* Herb gardens are often included in traditional French gardens. The neat French garden style usually includes separate areas for a fruit garden, a rose garden and sometimes a herb garden too. Herb gardens can actually be integral components of a well-planned garden. Paving is used in a specific pattern a chessboard pattern or a circular pattern, laid out like the spokes of a wheel. Places to rest are in places where you can see the beauty of a garden. Rosemary, sage, lavender, marjoram, sweet bay and thyme are herbs that are very common in France.
A famous example of the traditional French formal garden style described above is the Versailles Gardens located just outside Paris. King Louis IV hired landscape architect Andr Le Ntre to create the Versailles Gardens, in 1661. Versailles's western side features gardens spanning 800 hectares or 400 acres. Not only do these gardens feature many expensive ornaments, they also boast carefully cared for lawns and numerous blooming flowers. The gardens' most fascinating feature are their 1,400 fountains. The garden was watered with water from the Seine River which was supplied by a pumping system. Still, there was never enough water to run all the fountains at once. As King Louis would enter the garden, the fountains would start. These days their hours of operation are restricted to Sundays.
Not going to France any time soon? You can still visit a traditional French garden just by stopping by the Conservatory Garden, located in the North side of Central Park in New York City.
Although the traditional formal garden style developed in France influenced garden designers throughout the world, French gardens are by no means all traditional in style. France has many less formal gardens, including the Giverney garden overflowing with blooming flowers as shown in Monet's beautiful paintings. - 16035
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