British Gardens during the Roman Years

To get a good picture of Romano-British gardens of antiquity, we must consider their prototypes in Italy. Horticulture in primitive Italy, as in other countries, was at its beginning merely intended for practical purposes. Gradually the Latin word hortus, applied in the days of republican simplicity to a field of vegetables, was stretched, at the time of the luxurious emperors, to denote pleasure gardens of the utmost magnificence. In this latter period, the source of every new form of Roman art, including garden architecture, was Greece, which in its turn had received inspiration from Egypt, Persia, and Assyria.

Egyptian gardens are the earliest of which definite records still exist. Pictures and inscriptions, dating far back into the centuries before Christ, show that most Egyptian dwellings were built around a series of courtyards containing vegetation both useful and ornamental. Originally, a row of trees along the inner wall of the building shaded it and the enclosed quadrangle. Later, the tree trunks gave place to solid columns, and the overhanging branches to projecting rafters, which resulted in a general effect foreshadowing the Greek peristyle (columned porch or colonnade) and monastic cloisters.

Religious significance was attached to almost every feature in pre-Christian gardens, and tree worship was observed in all ancient countries. Among the favorites were the pine, the emblem of Cybele, the oak of Jupiter, the laurel of Apollo, the myrtle of Venus, the poplar of Hercules, and the olive of Minerva. The cypress was also grown in many places. Yew, although common, was not much esteemed; instead, juniper and rosemary were often employed for topiary work.   Box, too, was frequently clipped, and then, as now, considered the best shrub for edgings.

The rose, the lily, and the violet were among the most distinguished flowers of antiquity, but the narcissus, anemone, gladiolus, iris, poppy, amaranth, immortelle, verbena, periwinkle, and crocus were also cultivated and admired. Many flowerless plants like basil, sweet marjoram, and thyme were grown for their fragrance, while the acanthus was welcome on account of its beautiful foliage. Ivy covered the walls or was trained to form garlands between trees and columns.

Arbors in English Tudor Gardens

Every Tudor garden contained one or more arbors. One type had a square-topped roof, while the other type was arched. Both were constructed of willows or osiers. Fragrant rosemary, jasmine, and roses of various sorts, especially the sweetbrier or eglantine, were also trained over the trellis, which often rested on a part of the wall. As was remarked by an old writer, "the herb gardeners erected and framed most gardens in a refreshing manner"

More solid constructions of brick or of stone were useful in winter as well as summer, as they were furnished with chimneys. Such a one, on a large scale, is still to be seen at Hampton Court, and is called the banqueting house. Another, which has now disappeared, was built for Elizabeth of York at Windsor.

Long covered walks formed another important feature in every garden. Sometimes they passed between lines of clipped trees bent to form an arch, like the hornbeam walk at Hatfield, or the one of witch elm, called Queen Mary's, at Hampton Court. At other times the arches were constructed of woodwork and covered with vines. One of the advantages of these walks was that under their shade it was possible to go from one part of the garden to another without being exposed to the sun. Beneath the arbors, and in other spots covered or uncovered, seats and tables were placed for reading and writing, and where refreshments might also be served. Most often these were arranged at the ends of the paths or around the fountain. 

Another feature developed at this period was the mount, a mound of earth usually covered with grass and serving as a lookout over the garden wall into the park. Often it was capped by an arbor or a simple seat. There was a very large mount at Hampton Court, constructed in 1533. It was built on a brick foundation covered with earth and planted with twelve hundred quicksets. On the summit was a spacious summer-house.