The history of landscaping materials

Who doesn’t love a beautiful outdoor space? Your property is your most valuable asset and it’s no surprise that you would want it to look its best on the inside and on the outside. A beautiful landscape can be created and managed using multiple landscaping techniques and materials.

Creating aesthetically pleasing patterns for pleasure and enjoying beautiful sights has been in our nature for thousands of years. If you are a gardening and landscape management fan, you may have wondered when and how landscaping materials were first created. Landscaping is a hobby and a profession that goes back centuries. 

Ancient Landscaping Materials

The Gardens of Babylon is infamous as it’s one of the first great landscape people created. Although no physical proof exists that such gardens exist, we can only assume it was a gorgeous sight. These gardens were created by men planting trees and shrubs and creating natural terraces.

The first ever garden can be traced back to the BC 1400s. This garden belongs to the Egyptian high court in Thebes. The Egyptian gardens were created with religious and climatic influences. The entrance of the Egyptian high court garden is a pergola created with vines that leads to the dwelling. The garden contains rectangular ponds, tree-lined avenues, and pavilions.

Landscapes that were inspired by religious and philosophical beliefs used a stone with carved details. Sometimes, a stone was used as a gardening material to build combinations of small and big structures. 

Japanese Zen gardens are a place of calm and soothing atmosphere. To achieve a comforting feeling, ancient Japanese gardeners used natural elements that bring peace and harmony. stone along rivers, plants, trees, bridges, and waterfalls was a popular choice for such gardens.

Romans created gardens similar to the Greeks, using artificial lakes to complete their landscape. Nero’s Golden House is a popular example of Roman landscaping. The materials used were plowland, vineyard, pasture, and wood.

Stone was used because of its durability. Paved roads and small ponds and waterfalls were popular landscaping choices for Greeks and Romans as most landscapes were created for public gatherings.

Medieval Landscaping Materials

The middle ages are the times when classism developed and gardens became closed spaces for the wealthy. Monasteries generally had big and open gardens with stone paths and big fountains or stone wells in the center. 

Renaissance gardens were focused on beauty and aesthetic pleasure. Italian renaissance gardens were especially distinguished. These gardens were built on Italian hillsides. The garden had several layers. The major line would include stone walkways and balustrades. The lower line would be a lovely garden full of various flowers. As for the upper levels, they included woodland.

French renaissance gardens are notable, as they can be easily differentiated from others. French landscapes in the baroque period were infamous for big green bushes adorned with great pools, statues, and fountains. They also included green labyrinth gardens that created gorgeous sights from above.

In Chinese culture, untouched nature was the noblest. Walkways consisted of pebbles and the Chinese gardens were representations of natural hills and waters. Guardian dog sculptures were popular in Chinese gardens. The doors had circular or octagonal shapes. 

The Japanese gardens were heavily influenced by the Chinese ones. Japanese landscapes included arched bridges over ponds and rivers, stone lanterns, and pagodas. 

Modern Landscaping Materials

Gardens today combine older styles of landscaping. However, modern gardens are more focused on the usage of space and practicality. We can still find small and large statues in modern gardens accompanied by stone walkways and ponds. Driveways are a new addition to modern landscape plans. Wooden patios and pools are more popular nowadays than in the past.

Creating a beautiful landscape is crucial to property management and increasing your home value. Every homeowner tries to create a beautiful garden or at least an enjoyable outdoor space with well-maintained lawn nowadays.

Today, people use outdoor bars and stone fireplaces to add to gardens and yards. Modern technologies have paved the way for us to use different landscaping materials that are low-maintenance and easily sustainable.