A history of landscape architecture in Britain
Before the beginning of the nineteenth century it was unlikely to find landscape gardening anywhere but at the homes of the very rich; royalty, lords and ladies, religious complexes and governing buildings. Landscape architecture, as it came to be known, was undertaken all around the world, but never by anyone who did not have a great deal of money. One of the more famous examples outside of Britain would be the work at the Palace of Versailles, commissioned by Louis XIV of France; a garden that is still beautiful today.
That is one of the great things about landscape gardening; the lasting appeal. Obviously the gardens require a great deal of maintenance, but most of the very famous works have survived from the golden age of gardening.
When we talk about the golden age of landscape architecture, we are of course referring to that first superstar of the trade, Capability Brown, and his peers, though he could not have exerted his considerable influence had it not been for two of his precedents, Charles Bridgeman and William Kent. The pair often worked together, and between them created the style that became known as the English garden. Kent had more of an architectural bent in the classic sense, and he is credited with introducing Palladian architecture to England. Bridgeman had a more botanical expertise, and when the two did collaborate, they realised some of the most beautifully rounded gardens in the world.
Lancelot Brown, known as Capability by all, began his career under Charles Bridgeman, eventually succeeding William Kent as most favoured gardener in the country. His style was very different to that of his forerunners, as he eliminated Kent’s structures in his own designs, instead preferring to incorporate rolling lawns and views of the trees in the distance, making the garden seem much larger than it actually was. Brown intended to create an idealised vision of nature with his landscapes, and he played no small part in movement of romanticism, along with many painters, and poets such as William Wordsworth and Lord Byron. Indeed, Brown compared his work to that of a poet, stating ‘Here I put a comma, there, when it’s necessary to cut the view, I put a parenthesis; there I end it with a period and start on another theme.’
Today, landscape gardening is much more understated than it was 300 years ago, and is mainly done on a commercial level. Landscape gardening is seen by many as just another strain of facilities management, and an English garden is not designed for the same purpose as it once was, though it is certainly something to be applauded. But many of the gardens Capability Brown and his peers designed are still there to see today, and that is something to be thankful for too.
Landscape gardening today is for both personal and business use. Landscaping companies today are an important part of facilities management, but they can also be brought in to make private properties more attractive.
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