Landscaped Gardens.

I was browsing books in Waterstones and flicked through one about architecture. I read about something I had been pondering for a while. Around 18th century, landscaping gardens in England became a lot more popular, somewhat due to the admiration of actual landscape paintings. This uptake was controversial, as it was seen to be meddling with the natural chaos of nature, and therefore an insult to God.

Personally, I do enjoy a nice landscaped garden. I do wonder, to what extent do people like it because of how modern civilisation in the West has been moulded? The formation of official schooling, formal work contracts, and just lots of administrative functions. Basically, we have a lot of systems in place. Could our love for trimmed hedges and defined pathways stem from our adaptation to systems, structure, and rules?

Why is it that, despite everyone agreeing that nature in it’s natural offering is good for our wellbeing and makes us happier, that there is still a strong adoration of landscaped spaces? People are proud to tend to their gardens, planting, mowing, pruning - in a lot of circles, to keep it unkempt would display a lack of care.

Having said that, I was taken to a place called the old dump recently. Its greenery is wild and messy with clearly no one looking after it. Not particularly to my liking. But I’ve heard several people (who walk their dogs there) say they love it, and that it’s beautiful. I can’t imagine them enjoying a nice morning stroll at this place if they didn’t have their dog though. Personally, I don’t like pristine landscaping, but I do like some organisation of the outside environment.

Which leads me to think, what makes a place pleasant to inhabit and use is…human intention. We are making our mark in the world. To not alter the world at all, is to deny our own existence. We are here, and we want to show it.