The Elizabethan Garden was borne
from the Renaissance Garden Movement that began in Italy as
an outside architectural complement to the home. The designs
were enclosed and symmetrical landscapes, complete with
grottos and automata, devices powered by water. France
adapted this garden style to be more grandiose and expansive
by making the borders of the garden less enclosed.
Eventually this garden style reached the more geographically
and politically isolated England and was initially embraced
by the Tudor King, Henry VII. The real enthusiasm, however,
was from Henry VIII. He appreciated the grandness of the
green parks adjacent to the castles and strove to exceed the
French's renowned gardens by creating his
own. When his daughter, Elizabeth I,
ascended to the thrown in 1558 the nature of such gardens
changed slightly. The gardens were scaling down in size to
surround smaller structures that were being built, the homes
of the aristocracy. The country garden rose in appeal along
with the affluence of the English. Moreover, a new Flemish
influence was adding to the garden symbolic, painted wooden
statues and designs including herbs. The garden became more accessible
and individual under the reign of Elizabeth. This, in part,
was due to the long peace after the previous, tumultuous
years of the Northern Rebellion.
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For more information on the Elizabethan Era, click here for The Renaissance website or check out a modernized version of Holinshed's Chronicles online. |
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