562. The Gardens of the Roman World by Patrick Bowe- Summary

562.  The Gardens of the Roman World by Patrick Bowe.  Roman gardens were influenced by Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Babylonians.  The purpose of these gardens was to provide enjoyment of the arts, enjoyment and appreciation of sculpture, a means for exercise, a pleasant place for discussion and to generate discussion and for food.  There are two types of garden:  formal and the informal.  The formal gardens were usually in the font of the house- here, I mean estates which had enough space to accommodate a large garden.  These gardens often reflected and graced the architectural shapes and patterns of the design of the house.  The rear gardens were more informal.  Gardens often had shrines, pergolas, nymphaea, arbors, walk ways perforated with niches and decorative brick.  There were often shallow pools for reflection of the plants and sculpture about.  If the pools were deep, they often had recesses to provide shady spots for the fish to breed.  There were often fountains bubbling with jets.  Sometimes these were powered by cisterns on the second floor of the house which generated enough force for sprays and jets.  Romans also loved step fountains.  The following sculptures were often found in gardens:  Priapus, Ceres, Flora, Pomona, Vertumnus, Silvanus, Venus with Nereids, Satyrs, Muses, Bacchus.  Often children in playful moods and athletes were in the garden.  Oscilli were hung between columns, plaques (pinakes) were placed in the gardens, sundials too.  Furniture was made to be part of walls, in recesses.  Plants were symbolic- the olive for Minerva, white popular for Hercules, quercus ilex (oak) for Jupiter, myrtle for Venus, vine for Bacchus, bay laurel for Apollo, arbutus, box, ivy for Bacchus again.  Plane tree was a favorite.  Shrubs such as oleander, laurustinus, bay laurel, rosemary.  Climbing morning glories, vining grapes, melons, cucumbers were also trained up lattice work, vines were trained on to ropes strung between two columns.  Living active greenery were all around, statues such as a child being tickled or a thoughtful Muse must have encouraged thought or laughter.  Romans did not consider their work as separate from nature but part of it- so cities, houses, gardens and sculpture were all works of nature in a way.  Favorite flowers were violets, narcissi, hyacinthus, poppy, vetch, forget- me- nots, pinks, chickweed, mallows, periwinkle, laurel rose, chrysanthemum.  Theater masks were often hung between the columns.  There is a relationship here between the theater and the garden.  The plants were often coordinated with evergreens, and deciduous trees and flowers in order of height and to have something blooming all of the time.  Apartment complexes at Ostia have gardens, complete with fountains and sculpture.  Martial mentions putting pots on his window sill.  Seneca mentions roof gardens.  Acanthus was used as a ground cover.  Curiosities of nature intrigued Romans.  Topiary thus efforts were very popular, apple trees with grafts from sever types of apples are mentioned.