Gardens: Cultivated interest

If you're a garden historian, you'll have the answers at your fingertips, but for the rest of us, help is at hand in the form of a new book, Gardens of the World: The Great Traditions by Rory Stuart (30, Frances Lincoln).

Stuart points out that our assumptions about what makes a good garden tend to be deep-rooted. "It isn't just national assumptions, for example Islamic gardens are found in many nations," he says, "but cultural assumptions about gardens run deep, in part because they are seldom discussed - at least in the UK. We imbibe our attitudes to gardens from early childhood without being aware of what is happening to us. Memory, too, plays a big part in garden-making: many of us begin with idyllic memories of our grandparents' gardens, and the first gardens that we make seek to recreate the gardens of childhood."

So while we each have our own notion of the perfect garden, we're tapping into ideas that have been laid down millennia ago. Going right back to the earliest known gardens, he explains that they were always places of privilege, far removed from the hurly burly of daily life. More often than not they were sacred, associated with mountain deities or water springs upon which whole communities depended. It wasn't long before the savvy rulers of ancient Mesopotamia and Assyria decided to build their gardens at the water sources which were vital for survival, associating themselves with the spring's life-giving properties. Gardens developed into political statements - miniature demonstrations of power and wealth, while in later times, gardens gave everyone the chance to exert control over nature and to create something beautiful.

So can the influence of religion, politics and power still be seen in gardens today? "In some parts of the world, religion still plays a part in determining the style of a garden: on the outskirts of New Delhi you will find that gardens made by Hindu and by Muslim families are very different," says Stuart. "And, in general, in the Islamic world gardens are still made following traditional patterns and ideas - witness hotel gardens in Morocco and Iran." He says that politics affects gardens less now that the British Empire is no more, though in some countries where British influence was strong the British idea of a garden is still very potent, eg in Australia. "In terms of power, if money is power, then we certainly see the influence of money in many modern gardens, sometimes to ghastly effect," he says.

Gardens of the World explores a series of garden traditions, looking at how they evolved, what they represent and the ways in which their influence can still be felt today. Traditions covered include Islamic, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, English and American gardens. For the average British gardener who's used to squeezing plants into every available space, Islamic gardens can seem other-worldly, with their tranquil courtyards, careful geometry and soothing use of water. "Their beauty often springs from perfectly-calculated proportions, and from the sparse planting," says Stuart. "There is a calm about them that we find less often in British gardens bursting with flowers."

When it comes to the gardens of China and Japan, Stuart hopes his book will help Western readers to some understanding of them, but he points out that we are missing several thousand years of culture which would help put the rocks, gravel, manicured trees, symbols and references into some context. "It took me a long time to appreciate their subtle beauty," he says, "But now I find them some of the most satisfying gardens in the world; they are so full of detail, and there is the drama of constant surprise, which is an element I enjoy in any garden."

As for Italian garden tradition, this is something the average British garden lover will feel more at home with. Stuart explains that the Italian garden tradition has been hugely influential because their Renaissance occurred first, and so they set the standards of civilised living for the rest of Europe. Sixteenth century travellers brought home tales of the wonders of, for example, the Villa d'Este with its water-powered organ, and the rest of Europe wanted to emulate the Italian example.

Later, in 19th-century England, after the landscape movement had created a taste for something less rigidly organised, the pendulum of fashion swung back again towards gardens that were more formal, and the Italian example was the one most readily available to garden makers. "That is why we can find an 'Italian' garden at Tatton Park in Cheshire, created by Paxton in the mid 19th century," says Stuart.

The British love of flower gardens is also explored in detail. "We, the British, are brought up to think that gardens are principally places for flowers and a lawn - the former the province of the female, the latter of the male," says Stuart. "It is one of those unspoken cultural assumptions that are seldom challenged because they are seldom articulated. The fascination with flowers developed during the 17th century when the 'florists' delighted in collecting new plants, and proclaimed Britain a blessed land because so many exotics would grow here." So if you want to spend the winter swotting up on the history and culture of gardens around the world, this book should ensure you'll be fully clued up come spring.

This article was originally published in The Scotsman Magazine on Saturday 23 October 2010.