Formal vs Informal

     The Gardens of Versailles are among the most beautiful in the world. They represent a pinnacle of formal style in gardening that developed in the Renaissance. Symmetrical and composed of perfectly straight lines and perfectly circular curves, gardens like this have a machine-like precision that shouts man's domination over nature.

     They also required an army of labor to build and maintain in a society in which most considered themselves lucky to have a vegetable patch and a pig pen. Formal gardens like these are above all aristocratic. Only the extremely wealthy could afford them. But they set the standard for everyone else. Those merely well-to-do did what they could to emulate this style on a smaller scale and simpler design based perhaps on the labor of one full-time gardener. Yet others made do with a gardener who came once a week. At least up until World War II many middle class families were able to afford some regular gardening help based on available and inexpensive labor.

     At this lowest level the formal garden became reduced to a well-maintained lawn, formally trimmed shrubs around the house and perhaps a formal hedge in front or along the drive. But the clean lines and man-made character remained. A walk down almost any block shows that this style is still very popular.

     By the end of the nineteenth century, however, a new style had developed -- one that was more natural and informal. In part this was an effort to escape the staggering labor costs of formal landscaping as the price of labor kept increasing. (Today's formal gardens are almost all maintained by public institutions.) But the informal trend was also a result of a growing appreciation for nature itself. Voices arose that advocated, not imposing man's will on nature, but using man's talents to help nature along.

   This trend has continued to grow, fueled by things like the growing interest in ecology and the environment. A "natural" landscape is one that has no straight lines and is asymmetrical. Grassy lawns are reduced, or even eliminated altogether. Paths wander. Shrubs and perennials escape their beds.

     Most of us are aware of some of this even if we don't pay much attention to it. What strikes me, however, is that many of those trying a more relaxed style are still pruning their shrubs the same way: they shear the plant like a sheep instead of working with it. But that subject, dear reader, we will discuss next time.