By Mary Montagne, of the Ramsey Master Gardener Diversity Committee
Did you ever wonder where the “lawn” was invented? Or greenhouses?
Just as many of the foods we eat today originated in other countries, so do many of our common landscape and gardening practices. Over the centuries, world travelers brought home seeds, spices, herbs, and other edible and decorative plants. They also returned with memories and ideas, and tried to recreate a bit of their travels in their homes and gardens. Following are a few imported landscape practices & plants that are common here today:
Backyards – European colonists walled or fenced their gardens to keep out thieves (animals and people). This was not a common practice among American Indians.
Lawns – English grasses were brought to America to feed cattle. In the 1700s, “prosperous Americans were laying turf in their gardens”. The lawn mower was invented in England in 1830.
Glass Conservatories – These were developed in England. During the Victorian era, the British traveled and collected many plants from all over the world. Greenhouses allowed them to grow them at home. Other elements of British gardening include borders with drifts of perennials (both flowers and shrubs), and the cottage garden - a mass planting of old-fashioned flowers, along with vegetables and fruits, in a small area around the house.
France is known for its geometric garden design, with symmetrical layouts and terraces, most often seen at large estates and castles. Formal gardens, geometric shapes, and knot gardens, sometimes surrounded by boxwood hedges are imitations we see here. Another technique used is espalier, where apple and other fruit tree branches are trained to follow angles. Fragrant plants are often included in gardens in France, one of the world’s producers of fine perfume.
Although plant containers were found in ancient China, Italy is also known for container gardening, with its lovely terra cotta pottery. It is also home to the pergola, a trellis for climbing plants; as well as outdoor, uncovered, garden “rooms” - a growing gardening trend (although Minnesotans lack the Mediterranean climate which allows for extended use of them). The Italians also like to use stone (columns, walls, statues, banisters) and fountains in their gardens.
Stone is also commonly used in Japanese and Chinese gardens - especially in the “dry landscape”, or Zen meditation gardens, where stones represent many elements of nature - including plants, streams, and mountains. They also specialize in small, enclosed gardens; and bonsai - shaping small plants to create miniature landscapes.
Origins of a sample of common plants used in landscapes:
- Lilacs: Persia
- Crocus, narcissus, iris: England
- Poinsettia, marigold, morning glory: Mexico
- Peony, rose, lily: China
- Petunia: South America
- Nasturtium: Peru
- Tulip: Turkey
What are your favorite landscape and garden practices from other countries? Can you connect any of them back to your cultural heritage?
Sources: The World of Garden Design by Susan Dooley, and the Editors of Garden Design Magazine 2000
