Roman gardens

The Roman garden's history, function, and style is investigated through archaeological and archaeobotanical research, famously conducted at Pompeii, literary sources, and wall paintings and mosaics in homes.

Gardens were enclosed to gather winter warmth, protect them from drying winds, and differentiate them from the barren and glaring Persian terrain.

When Alexander the Great conquered parts of Western Asia, he brought back with him new varieties of fruits and plants that prompted a renewed interest in horticulture.

At the time of the 18th dynasty of Egypt, gardening techniques, used to beautify the homes of the wealthy, were fully developed.

Initially, lower class Romans used kitchen gardens as a source of food to provide for their families and mainly grew herbs and vegetables.

According to Cato the Elder, in his text De agri cultura every garden should be close to the house and should have flower beds and ornamental trees.

No type of garden was specifically reserved for wealthy Romans; all a civilian needed was to have their own land or home.

Excavations in Pompeii show that gardens attached to residences were scaled down to meet the space constraints of the home of the average Roman.

[10] The Roman villa was typically a country house for wealthy people, that was accessible from the city, and served as a retreat from urban living.

[12] Villa gardens were lavishly decorated, and could include private spaces for exercise, known as gymnasiums, and larger open areas for hunting game.

Gardens at these sites were planted at a large scale, and often are found with processing equipment, suggesting that the Villas were producing goods for profit.

[13] Notable examples include Villa Boscoreale in Herculaneum, where extensive pollen analysis has been conducted to identify the flora cultivated.

These consisted of temple gardens, sacred groves–collections of trees established in honor of a specific deity, parks, etc.

[18] Additionally, commercial gardens, that typically specialized in growing produce or flowers, also fall into this category.

Depending on the formality, function, or type of garden, elements may be added or embellished more, or may be omitted altogether.

The ambulation bordered a variety of flowers, trees, and other foliage, and it served as an ideal place for a leisurely stroll after a meal, conversation, or other recreational activities.

[22] Even though an atrium is found inside the house, it is considered part of the garden because it has an opening that would allow Romans to collect rain water, known as an impluvium.

[32] Herbs were a common feature of a Roman kitchen garden, cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes.

Species such as garlic, basil, coriander, dill, parsley, rosemary, onion, and mustard were grown across the Empire, as far as Britain.