GREEK GARDENS

LOCATION AND GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT:Located in southern Europe, Greece forms an irregular-shaped peninsula in the Mediterranean with two additional large peninsulas projecting from it: the Chalcidice and the Peloponnese. 

The country has the largest coastline in Europe (13,676km) due to its numerous islands. Greece has a total of 2,000 Greek islands but only 168 are inhabited.

The country is washed to the east by the Aegean Sea, to the west by the Ionian and to the south by the Mediterranean Sea.

Greece has a rich diversity in flora and fauna and many species are original in this country, which means that they are found only there in the world.

The mountains of Greece divide the agricultural lands into discrete geographical units, limited at all sides by sea and mountains. This topographical arrangement favors not only a sense of regionalism from a purely spatial point of view but also, an organizational pattern based on the idea that any small geographical unit is controlled/managed by the city.   

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Weather in Greece is fairly uniform throughout the mainland and the Greek islands. Due to its geographical position, Greece has mild winters and warm summers, cooled by different kind of seasonal winds. The summers are characterized by sunshine and very little rainfall.

In the winter, temperatures again were influenced by the surrounding water. Typically temperatures did not go below 40° F (4.4° C) with the exceptions in the high mountains. In the mountains, snow was typical during the wet winter months.

The Greeks' life was closely related to landscape as a large part of the population lived in the urban centre and commuted daily in the outskirts of the city, in order to work in the farmlands.

Much of the soils in Greece are made up of silty, sandy soil. Limestone is a characteristic type of soil found in this country. The soil is not very fertile. Only about 30 percent of the total land area in Greece can support crops. Most farms are small because there are no major valleys in Greece. Wheat is Greece’s main crop.

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CULTURE AND SOCIETY :Life of women in ancient Greece were closely tied to domestic work spinning, weaving and other duties.greece was male dominating society

Greek people made their living from farming. Citizen had land outskirts of urban area which provided farmlands. Greek landscape and climate difficult for farms.

There were grape gardens, olive trees majorly since it was criminal offense to cut olive trees.

Honey was probably was the only sweetening that exited at the time so beehives were kept in terracotta pots.

Painting depicting the ancient Greek ladies spending their leisure time in garden.

HISTORY OF ANCIENT GREEK GARDENS :Landscape design of ancient Greece (VI B.C. - IV A.D.) was in essence garden design. The presence of a good combination of utilitarian, religious and aesthetical features was typical to the gardens of that time.

Greeks originally had characteristic tendency towards harmony with nature, use of a relief as by topographical component and the landscaping design of ancient Greece was characterized by considerably freer planning and structure of composition.

Greeks learned to harmoniously combine the construction of cities with the natural landscape, mutually supplementing each other. Gardens and parks became similar to living organisms, which have a close connection with the natural environment and man. Acropolises, theatres, forums, squares, seemingly grow from nature, harmonizing and merging with the surrounding landscape.

The most extensive characteristic exclusively for ancient Greek forms of re-planting ,such as Herron, are more commonly known as sacred groves, private and philosophical gardens

Built structures like gazebo and fountains in ancient garden

PRINCIPLES AND CHARACTERESTICSIn the landscaping construction of ancient Greece a strict symmetry predominated. Alleys and parks were decorated with fountains, columns, vases, sculptures.  

stepped gardens were also built, on which fountains were arranged and flowers and trees were planted. The Hellenic garden had many components: massive amounts of plants, spiral staircases and many decorations

Greek landscape dictated a pre-defined course through the built and unbuilt environment, which was perceived as an inseparable unity.

Components like water feature and vases in gardens.

Hardy plants, protective walls, and shaded patios are ubiquitous

In smaller villages, there was no tradition for a home to have a backyard, there was no soil even,The place that people had when they went outside was the street. They had to put pots with plants in the street. That's a typical garden."

A neutral backdrop. If you have hot summers, whitewashed walls and light-colored stone facades function as effective scrims to reflect the sun's heat and create a serene structure for a garden. 

An accent of bright color.

Neutral background with colorful accents of flowers.

Parthenon in acropolis with landscape -paintings

fountains

Drought-tolerant natives

Potted plants.

Olive trees & Citrus trees. Lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines.

SPECIAL FEATUREScolorful dashes on white or earthen background, pergolas with vines and other climbing trees creating deep shades.

columns and sculptures ,vases ,fountains.

TYPES

SACRED GROVESThe religious gardens were of two varieties: the cultivable type, which could be rented out while also being a pleasant gathering place, and the rustic shrine, where statuary and trees coexisted; a subspecies of this latter type consisted of natural grottoes embellished by rock-cut sculpture, votive offerings and at times.

• Herron - the memorial garden - grove, planted on the spot of the burial of a hero. Gardens had a racetrack, a hippodrome, an area for gymnastic games and competition in the memory of heroes. With time Herrons began to be decorated with statues and colonnades which became the accents of parks. In the majority of cases Herrons had a memorial nature, they were made with the process of the creation of different architectural structures and forests. Over time these sacred groves ceased to bear a memorial nature and became sports parks.

• Philosophical gardens were created specially so that philosophical conversations could be conducted in them. On the terraces were created straight, wide alleys with space for sports, statues, vases and fountains. In such gardens school and gymnasium lessons were conducted by the famous philosophers Plato, Aristotle, etc. Academy Garden on the Ilisos river in the outskirts of Athens (460 B.C.). Philosophical gardens were isolated from the public parks. The largest squares of all of the cities belonging to the state were surrounded with plants  which were also placed along the roads

• The public garden was located in the main area of the city near temples and fountains.

• The private gardens of prosperous owners most frequently bore an exceptionally utilitarian nature.

• Nymph - sacred oak, cedar or olive grove located in center of an artistic water source or grotto with a regular planning style. Over time  new decorations such as columns and sculptures appeared and enriched the nymphs. These places were thought to be inhabited by gods, nymphs and muses, because of this people brought sacrifices here. The flow of water, which fell into the pond, was the prototype of the water features in the parks of Western Europe.

• The pleasure gardens like those of the Persian's - appeared after Alexander of Macedon victoriously marched into Persia (336-323 B.C

Pleasure gardens of ancient Greece

SPECIES-Trees-cypresses, fir trees, oaks, sycamores, palms, olive trees 

Flowers-voilet,croccus,voilet,grape,anemone,cyclamon,tulip,myrtle,daisy,lilly,roses,narissus.

THANK YOU

M.A.AYSHATH RISHANA-16ARUNIMA A.S-4