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The romantic garden is a slightly neglected, shady corner, intricately combining the styles of several generations of architects. The romantic style emerged at the end of the 18th century as a combination of regular and irregular styles, the main elements of which are "abandoned" ponds, ruins of ancient castles, gazebos and fences entwined with vines, labyrinths and "kissing places" hidden in bosquets.
A romantic garden includes an abundance of lush vegetation, mature trees and shrubs. It can also be a landscape garden, if you do not highlight architectural details in it, decorate reservoirs like natural ones, and arrange paths so that they lead to the most secluded corners, initially hidden from view. Pavlovsky Park White Birch, created by theatrical artist P. Gonzago, is a landscape park with lawns, copses and a stunning system of paths that starts from the center of the park, where there is a circle of birches and eight radial paths from it. The straightness of the paths is cleverly hidden from view by the trees. The White Birch Park, in which there are almost no buildings and not a single exotic plant, is a vivid example of the landscape transformation of nature during the period of romanticism. Romanticism did not just preserve nature, it transformed it, as other styles do, but it
the transformation is the least “violent” and noticeable.
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An appeal to nature, however, does not exclude significant elements in gardens and parks. In the garden of K. Monet Giverny there is not a single empty piece of land, bright colors turn into faded tones, which are then replaced by even brighter strokes. Monet was able to engage in ornamental gardening only when his paintings began to generate income. Monet "mixed" garden and wild plants in the garden, planted blue irises in wide stripes, framed them with lilac obriety - he did not mix all the colors in a row, but carefully layered them one on top of the other.
History of romanticism
If ancient mythology and symbolism were of great importance in the gardens of classicism, then in romanticism it is almost nonexistent. The main thing here is the coincidence of the melody of the soul and nature. A romantic garden is a garden of moods, memories. And for each of us - it will be something of our own, close only to the creator. This is a fairly free style in the landscape, there are no strict frameworks, but at the same time, one cannot say that romanticism is a denial of rules. Romanticism follows more complex and whimsical “rules” - the rules of the state of mind.
French word romantisme, Spanish romance and english romantic meant in the XVIII century something "strange", "fantastic", "picturesque". And in the 19th century, romanticism becomes a new direction of the style opposite to classicism. And at that time romanticism was understood not as something romantic: “with walks and kisses in the moonlight”, but romanticism in terms of free-thinking, most clearly manifested by the poets of that period. Without denying everyday life, the romantics sought to unravel the mystery of human existence, turning to nature and trusting their religious and poetic feeling.
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Therefore, the gardens of romanticism are parks with pavilions for reflection, temples, romantic ruins ... Solitude in the gardens has become the goal of philosophical self-absorption. And nature from closed, fenced with straight trimmed hedges and walls, has turned into an expression of the inner life of man.
And modernity
A romantic garden in modern garden plots is a slightly different story. Most of the landscape parks are really romantic, but how to create a romantic mood in small spaces. The fact that a romantic garden does not have strict rules and canons does not mean at all that there is no need to draw a plan and think over everything in advance. If this is not done, you will get a pile of elements, a strange scatter in the flower beds and an incomprehensible landscape.
Yes, indeed, you do not need to level the area under the lawn, then on a sunny day a mysterious play of shadows will appear on your lawn, but in this case, the area should have excellent drainage or a well-thought-out slope in order to avoid stagnant water.
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A romantic garden, or rather a garden with a romantic mood, should not be viewed entirely, should not have an abundance of bright colors. This does not mean that you need to give up red, on the contrary, it should be, but it should be combined with white, pink, pastel. In no case should you give up roses, but it is only better that they are old varieties with a deeper aroma.
And yet, romance in the garden depends on the personal experiences of a particular person. Someone needs a garden of dizzying aromas, while someone just needs to go out into a field of sunflowers or unmown daisies, and a person melts from surging feelings. Therefore, every gardener, landscape designer or landlord perceives the romantic style in his own way, and you should not confuse the style with romantic feelings, with nostalgia and memories.
In modern suburban areas, it is quite difficult to fully comply with the style, but you should not give up stylistic elements, which can be a gazebo entwined with maiden grapes (parthenocissus five-leafed), or honeysuckle honeysuckle - for those who love bright aromas, or a dilapidated rockery with stones overgrown with moss and a winding path leading to a modest corner for kissing or personal reflection. For some, angels in the flower beds and old fountains, vases will add romance, and for some, a pond with a solitary weeping willow, dropping its branches down to the water, is an obligatory element. In the spring, romance will add crocuses and galanthuses, hatching right from the lawn. And in autumn the golden-white panicles of Miscanthus will rustle mysteriously.
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
In any case, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." A garden with a romantic mood will already be an image, not a style. And it is good to give this image a name, thereby marking the boundaries of dreams and memories for yourself. Tui, for example, will never be found in My Grandmother's Cherry Orchard, and pompous hydrangeas for someone are suitable for the Mediterranean Dream garden.
In any case, romantic gardens are planned the way the owner wants. In such gardens, the color is muted, pastel colors are used. Sometimes romantic gardens are considered old-fashioned because they repeat what once was: forgotten varieties of flowers, old benches and vases, sculptures and pergolas from the last century. Large, spreading trees, winding paths leading to a secluded, shady corner or to a gazebo entwined with climbing roses.
In recent years, there has been a desire for a romantic style. I would like to retire, get away from reality and the hustle and bustle of big cities. But it is also possible to create a romantic garden in a modern style. Hanging and climbing plants are already the effect of a romantic haze, and the pergola for them may well be made of modern materials or have a more strict geometric shape. A platform made of simple planks leading to a reservoir overgrown with grasses and rushes can serve as an excellent platform for a modern armchair or sun lounger, and will be a good solution that combines romanticism and modernity.
Dare, because everyone has their own romance and, accordingly, their own romantic garden!
"Landscape solutions" No. 1 (12) - 2012
