Ancient Roman Gardens and Landscaping

The origin of landscape design is impossible to determine. It didn't start with a certain person, or a particular movement: like all design, it arose to fulfill the needs of people organically through history. No one suddenly decided that we needed to scrupulously plan where we place our trees and flower beds - landscape architecture was developed to make one aspect of our lives even better, and it has fulfilled this role excellently throughout our past.

Although the first mention of the incredible combination of gardens and design was certainly the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, there is some controversy about their historical correctness. Although their Characteristics and status as one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World is attractive, we really don't know where to separate the history from the mythology. Although many experts have detailed the function, design, and creator of the Hanging Gardens, there are no Babylonian information still in existence that document them first-hand, and no archaeological evidence that unquestionably proves their existence - so we'll have to look elsewhere for a more useful place to begin.

Possibly the first appearance of what we deem modern landscaping arose during the rise of the Roman Empire. Romans lived in a more urban setting than anyone else up to that point in history, and they needed an in-city refuge from their bustling social lives. This as a goal, the Ancient Roman gardens developed a calming combination of ornamental plants, mosaics, and fountains - the gardens also were loaded with religious symbolism.

This closely designed landscaping stood in stark contrast to landscape design that would develop in the east, where Chinese and Japanese gardeners would attempt to make their landscape as unassuming and un-designed as possible. Landscape design also took a great leap foreword in Persia, where remarkable underground aqueducts were designed to keep lavish gardens alive in the arid environment. In fact, there is some evidence that Roman gardens were deeply influenced by Persian gardening techniques.

These are just a few examples of the many forms that landscaping has taken over the years, but it really seemed to enter its adolescence in the 1800s. The term "Landscape architecture" was coined by Gilbert Meason in his book "On The Landscape Architecture of the Great Painters of Italy", where he wrote about Italian masterpieces of landscape painting. The term's meaning has changed somewhat since its inception, the transformation helped along by the use of the expression in the winning entry for the layout of Central Park in New York City. In the mid 1900s, people who designed landscapes were referred to as "Landscape Gardeners", but Frederick Olmsted denied this limiting name and adopted the name "Landscape Architect".

In recent times, there has been a movement towards Landscape Urbanism, which is blending an urban setting with nature. With more and more people living in urban settings, landscaping has to fit into and work alongside urban planning, causing some exceptional combinations of asphalt and mulch. This attitude shift is certainly a modern phenomenon, but it really isn't that unique. Think back to those Ancient Roman Gardens: when cutting-edge landscapers use a combination of design, landscaping, and an urban location, they're just doing like the Romans did.

Mark Charipar is a landscape designer and architect who creates beautiful landscapes in Lincoln, NE.

Learn more about him and his company here: Landmark Landscapes

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Landscape Architects Shaping Small Garden Design

The importance of landscape architecture is reflected in the 18th century Modern Garden shaping, especially Tne English Gardens. There are various elements of landscape as sculptures and waters bodies. Sculptures represent a focal point in shaping garden design, and they may be created from natural or artificial materials in a variety of forms, textures and colours. The most used elements in the sculptures creation are stone and wood, and the placement of a sculpture depends upon the light and the shadow patterns which give various stages during the day also during the night by adjusting the night lights. The sculpture should be placed in strategic points, to create an elevated aspect to the garden even if it is a small garden.

Water bodies are the most attractive objects in shaping the garden design. The water, a natural element, offer a prominent aspect, and it can be use to create pools or fountains, which are more adequate for small gardens, reflecting a variety of sounds and giving refreshing effects. Landscape architects are using an electronic timing system to schedule the flow of water in the fountain, and for improving the fountain effect, elements of granite could be integrated. The water in fountains is periodically replaced to prevent the smelly air and the appearance of algae or mosquitos. The small garden shaping depends on soil and water retention, noticing few key factors in the garden design as the shape of the ground, the planting elements, the enclosure, and the way of circulation.

Before reshaping must be evaluated the shape of the earth to avoid the accumulation of water, and remodeling sites of the ground could give a mysterious aspect of the garden which would attract people focus.

There are also some artificial elements in landscape architecture as pavements, planting, drainage, rock gardens, and others more, but strictly for gardens are the rocks and the planting. The nature of a rock garden it’s constituted by groups of rocks, boulders or stones. Those groups of rocks can be created by bonding them with mud or cement, and for a natural aspect plants can be merged into it.

Planting represents the most crucial element of landscape architecture. The elements planted can be plants, trees, bushes or shrubs. These plants create shadow effects that attract the interest of visitors or owners during the daylight hours.

The shape of the majority of plants is of round or conical, and this aspect is extremely useful for contrast with the others elements of the garden, the fence, the sculpture or groups of rocks. The plants are of varied width and height, such as the shinning mind of the landscape architects could create a variety of beautiful spaces that will lead to state of excitement from visitors or users. The color of plants is also extremely important, especially the green of leaves, which combines with the pavement or sculpture grey color.

Landscape architecture represents a various and ancient domain which will constantly evolve, and architects are able to beautify both a small garden and a significant one.

There is a lot to be gained from consulting, even briefly with a landscape architect, just to get some good garden design ideas.

About Author: There is a lot to be gained from consulting, even briefly with a landscape architect, just to get some good garden design ideas.

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Facts About Architecture

Architecture is all about the construction and design of buildings and other physical structures. It is often considered as a blend of art, science and imagination. In fact, architecture is also related to money and investments. Any piece of Architecture has a value beyond the quantitative materialistic point of view of the economics. But value added design refers to the measurable economic benefit gained due to a design.

Well, Architecture is considered to be the practice of designing buildings and other physical structures. It is often considered a form of art and science due to the massive amount of technical knowledge required to implement a design that has been created from nothing.

A wider definition often includes the design of the total built environment, from the macro level of how a building integrates with its surrounding landscape (see town planning, urban design, and landscape architecture) to the micro level of architectural or construction details and, sometimes, furniture. Wider still, architecture is the activity of designing any kind of system.

During the Renaissance period the emerging knowledge in scientific fields and the rise of new materials and technology, architecture and engineering began to separate, and the architect began to lose ground on some technical aspects of building design. Vernacular architecture became increasingly ornamental.

So, we can see that a relatively elaborate and intricate architectural design can enhance or increase the overall value of any building or property. Careful and clever architecture can do miracles to lure a potent customer and thereby increase your organization's profit.

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