landscaping

Maria Luisa Park

Gardens Near and Far episode 29 – Maria Luisa Park

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Gardens Near and Far episode 29: spanning 34 hectares, the Maria Luisa Park, which is a mosaic of gardens, constitutes the lungs of the city of Seville. It was opened to the public in 1914.     The park illustrates the landscape theories of town planner and botanist Jean Nicolas Forestier, who was convinced of the need for green spaces in cities, at the start of the 20th century. The French architect / landscape gardener arrived in Spain having spent part of his career in Morocco, where he discovered the Arab culture of gardens. He adapted this culture to Seville’s […]

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Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh

Gardens Near and Far episode 28 – Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh

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Gardens Near and Far episode 28: The Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh was established in 1670, at the time of the British Empire’s major expeditions.     At the time, botanists travelled the world collecting plants, studying them, and presenting to the public, students and plant lovers.Up until the 16th century, the plants were used in treating disease or for food. Subsequently, they were collected for classification and study, and formed the foundations of botanical science. Landscape architect Jean-Philippe Teyssier takes us on a discovery of the most beautiful gardens in France and the world. The gardeners, landscapers, horticulturalists, architects, historians

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Gardens Near and Far episode 26 – Domaine du Rayol

Gardens Near and Far episode 26 – Domaine du Rayol

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Gardens Near and Far episode 26: the Domaine du Rayol is a surprising 20-hectare garden in which exotic plants live in harmony with Mediterranean scrubland.     Contemporary landscape gardener Gilles Clément gave the garden its current diversity. With his concept of “planetary garden”, he revolutionised the way gardens are perceived. Certain species have adapted to the Mediterranean environment thanks to age-old strategies revealing the incredible intelligence of the vegetal world. Landscape architect Jean-Philippe Teyssier takes us on a discovery of the most beautiful gardens in France and the world. The gardeners, landscapers, horticulturalists, architects, historians and estate managers he

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Quinta da Regaleira

Gardens Near and Far episode 25 – Quinta da Regaleira

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Gardens Near and Far episode 25: created in the 16th century in Sinta, 40 km from Lisbon, the Quinta da Regaleira was a garden for the acclimatization of exotic plants that the Portuguese navigators brought back from their travels to Asia and the Americas.     In the 19th century, a famous owner, Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, was to make his mark on the place. He added various symbols, mysteries and enigmas for visitors to the 4-hectare garden. The resulting singular atmosphere of disconcerting strangeness makes this garden one of the most surprising places in the area around Lisbon. Landscape

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Palacio dos Marqueses de Fronteira

Gardens Near and Far episode 24 – Palacio dos Marqueses de Fronteira

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Gardens Near and Far episode 24 – Palacio dos Marqueses de Fronteira: this baroque garden is decorated with thousands of small mosaic tiles, the famous “Azulejos” that recount the glory of the re-conquest of the independence of Portugal in the 16th century.     Despite its regular appearance, the garden evokes the Moor palaces with their refreshing fountains, thanks to a hydraulic system from Arab culture. Since the 17th century, the palace and its garden have been handed down from generation to generation within the same family. Landscape architect Jean-Philippe Teyssier takes us on a discovery of the most beautiful

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Gardens Near and Far episode 23 – Ninfa

Gardens Near and Far episode 23 – Ninfa

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Gardens Near and Far episode 23 – Ninfa : By the twelfth century, the ancient settlement of Ninfa had become a sizeable town with a castle. The noble Caetani family were granted the fiefdom. But the town’s population was decimated by civil wars in the fourteenth century, then driven out by malaria.     Ninfa lay abandoned until the twentieth century, when three generations of Caetani women – Ada, Marguerite and Lelia – became fascinated with it and made a garden in the ruins of the old town. Wild and cultivated plants twine through the ruins in a riot of

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Villa d’Este

Gardens Near and Far episode 22 – Villa d’Este

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Gardens Near and Far episode 22 – Villa d’Este: The Villa d’Este near Rome in Italy was a model for all Renaissance gardens that followed.     Created in the 16th century by Cardinal Hippolyte d’Este, who was descended from a wealthy family in Ferrare, the gardens are set on a hill overlooking a villa. Work on creating the gardens started in 1550, and continued for over 20 years. In the 19th century, they underwent long periods of abandon, but paradoxically, the abundant, wild vegetation attracted artists like Fragonard and Liszt, who composed “The Fountains of the Villa d’Este” there.

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Valsanzibio

Gardens Near and Far episode 21 – Valsanzibio

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Gardens Near and Far episode 21 – Valsanzibio: The Valsanzibio gardens, located in the heart of the Southern Padua hills, span eight hectares. The gardens are the work of the Barbarigo family, who were wealthy 17th century Venetian traders.     They are thought to have been created as a sign of gratitude to God for having spared the family from the plague in 1631. The design of the Valsanzibio gardens is attributed to Luigi Bernini, brother of the famous sculptor Bernini. The garden’s architecture is based on large boxwood hedges, and the place invites strollers on a spiritual journey.

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Garden of Padua

Gardens Near and Far episode 20 – Garden of Padua

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Gardens Near and Far episode 20: Located in North East of Italy, in the heart of Veneto, the garden of Padua is the oldest botanical garden in the world. Founded in 1545, it dates back to the origin of botanical science.     With its plants from all over the world and its ancient trees from Asia, the garden of Padua takes us on a journey back in time. The botanical garden’s library contains a great many works that retrace the evolution of the science of plants, from the Middle Ages to the present day.   Gardens Near and Far

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Het Loo

Gardens Near and Far episode 19 – Het Loo

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In the 17th century, William III of Orange and his wife Mary II acquired the estate of Het Loo, creating over 650 hectares of woodland and parkland, in an outstanding garden inspired by the French baroque gardens of the time.     The flowerbeds are not merely decorative elements designed to attract the eye. They are also intended to be a display power and glory. In the 19th century, the royal garden was transformed into a romantic style park. In 1970, the Dutch State decided to restore the garden’s original appearance. The garden, which is the pride of the Dutch

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MUSKAU

Gardens Near and Far episode 18 – MUSKAU

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Gardens Near and Far episode 18 – MUSKAU: in 1811, Prince Hermann von Pückler, one of the leading 19th century landscape gardeners, decided to dedicate his life to creating the ideal estate, in which he experimented with new forms of landscape.     Although he was very influenced by English gardens, Hermann Von Pückler moved away from them when designing his park, which he included in his treatise on gardens so that everybody could take inspiration from it and copy it. Since the end of World War 2, the estate has been located on the border between Germany and Poland.

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Gardens Near and Far episode 17 – Vallée aux Loups

Gardens Near and Far episode 17 – Vallée aux Loups

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Gardens Near and Far episode 17:  a few kilometres from Paris, the Vallée aux Loups spans more than 60 hectares of isolated woodland. In the 19th century, it attracted prestigious gardeners and many artists.     François-René de Chateaubriand stayed at the Vallée aux Loups for eleven years, infusing the estate with a romantic spirit. The rich and fertile lands of the neighbouring plots are now also attracting renewed interest. The local county has gradually incorporated these plots into a large park, which is open to the public.   Gardens Near and Far episode 17 – Vallée aux Loups  

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