History & Gardens
‘Looking Back to see the Future”
I love gardens and I love history so over the next few months we will merge these two topics for a richer understanding of green spaces.
We will look at:
The history of gardens
Gardens in different parts of the world
How garden tools developed
What a garden can do for you
What you can do for a garden
How we mirror a garden
The recorded history of gardens began in Asia, particularly in the Mesopotamia area. Two of the oldest gardens are the Garden of Eden, which means “enclosed delight” and the Babylonian Hanging Gardens. The first one was created by God for man’s pleasure (more about that later) and the latter was the creation of a Babylonian king and became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
The Babylonian Hanging Gardens consisted of intricate water systems and a large variety of flowering plants the Babylonians gathered from around the known world at that time as they made conquests in different lands.
Here is what National Geographic has to say:
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Despite being named one of the Seven Ancient Wonders, there is not much firsthand evidence that the gardens actually existed. Those who claimed to have witnessed the gardens, including Greek historians Strabo and Diodorus Siculus, described them as marvels of agricultural engineering. An amazing array of blooming flowers, luscious fruit, exotic foliage, and impressive waterfalls were said to have filled them. The hanging gardens were believed to have been built around 600 B.C.E., by Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled Babylonia from 605–562 B.C.E.
And just in case you are wondering about the other 6 ancient wonders of the world;
Here are 10 of the most famous gardens of today and a bit of history to go along.
Let’s end this blog with some unique characteristics of gardens. Just writing about gardens brings to my mind color, smells, shapes, and designs. In fact, when I got the idea of The MaxBit, I imagined the untold designs one could dig now and get the perfect look with stand-up flowers surrounded by greenery. Gardens give us creativity, a place to experiment, and when we are still and quiet, gardens give us sounds that may just be a ‘taste of heaven on earth.’
Remember, the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart,
Dr. Morgan
