The origin of the garden is rooted in the human desire to be surrounded by plants. Ornamental plants are selected owing to their aesthetically pleasing features, their pleasant fragrance, as well as their beauty. As early 5000 years ago, the Chinese developed gardens and grew flowers like chrysanthemum. The gardens of antiquity created in the far East and Asia, China, Babylon, Persia, Egypt and Greece were associated with villas, palaces and houses of kings, nobles and wealthy persons. The hanging gardens of Babylon became one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Epicurus, the pleasure-loving philosopher, started gardening in Athens in 300 BC. Most of these flower gardens were destroyed during the early part of the middle ages. In the 11th century the interest in gardens was revived with the development of utilitarian gardens which had mainly fruits, vineyards, and herbals with very few flowers. During the 11th century the English gardens maintained by monks in the monasteries had mostly herbals and fruit trees, and flowers were only grown for purpose of decoration in churches or for wreaths. There were different types of gardens with distinct characteristics. During the 16 th and 17 th centuries flowers dominated the garden developed by Italy and other European countries. Different gardens developed during various periods over a period of time are discussed below:
Last modified: Saturday, 10 December 2011, 11:05 AM
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