All townspeople love nature reserves that adorn megacities. We will tell you about the oldest and most modern versions of man-made corners of wildlife.
Primitive man was part of the environment. The only thing he could influence on was the conditions in his home. Procuring food was not an easy task. The desire to know exactly where to get plants suitable for food gave rise to the idea of managing plantings near the habitat of your family.
Already in the days of the first states, wildlife in its original form became alien to people. Far more accustomed to them were artificially created agricultural lands. The development of civilization has given rise to many varieties of cultural green spaces.
Gardens. Historical excursion
The name of this planting option comes from the verb meaning the purposeful cultivation of trees and shrubs. Our ancestors, wishing to simplify their life, cleared the areas where plants were transplanted, giving edible fruits. Knowledge of natural sources of food and medicine multiplied. The habitual flora in the gardens was supplemented by specimens brought from distant countries. Curiosities attracted not only by their properties, but also by their appearance. People visited the gardens not only for work on the land, but also for recreation.
Today the following types of gardens are distinguished:
- fruit;
- meadow (similar to the first in purpose, but adapted for the operation of agricultural machinery);
- botanical;
- decorative.
We owe the appearance of the botanical gardens to the Italian doctors of the Renaissance. In Russia, Peter I made a significant contribution to the cultivation of medicinal herbs. In 1706, he ordered the creation of the first "pharmaceutical garden" in Moscow. Later this idea was adopted by educational institutions.
Interesting facts about gardens
The most famous gardens are the Hanging Gardens of Babylon - one of the 7 wonders of the world. They were a gift from the Babylonian king to his wife. Vladyka ordered to plant on the terraces of his palace plants brought from his wife's homeland. Unfortunately, this unique object has not survived to this day.
The careers of many scientists and their discoveries are closely related to botanical gardens. They were originally used as observation sites for flora. Today, the Millennium Seed Bank project is being implemented at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Within its framework, the planting material of all plants known to science is collected for their subsequent conservation as a collection and a reserve in case of the need to revive certain populations.
An ornamental garden does not always use living objects as basic elements. Rock gardens are popular in Japan, where the central part of the composition is occupied by rough boulders of various shapes and sizes. The space around the main characters can simply be covered with pebbles. In Buddhist tradition, this courtyard decoration symbolizes the sea and islands and is often present in the courtyards of temples.
Squares. Historical excursion
The first cities served as a refuge for our ancestors, where every detail had to be functional. The forests surrounding the settlements made it possible not to be afraid that the air would be dirty, the concern for the safety of their own shoes forced to fanatically cover every section of the pavement or square with cobblestones. Occasionally a particular tree or bush with an interesting story or magical beliefs was left to grow. This was the prototype of what is called the square today.
Cities grew, environmental problems became more and more. Soon the smog over the streets began to seriously interfere with pedestrians. To solve the problem of landscaping, plots of no more than 2 hectares in size were called upon, where there were green spaces and comfortable benches for rest. The square differs from the park in its miniature size and location on a city square, or a crossroads. Its name comes from the English word "area". Complementing the ensemble of this corner of nature can be:
- flower beds;
- sculptural compositions;
- lawns.
Interesting facts about squares
The formation of islets of wildlife in the metropolis can become a problem for the roads adjacent to the squares. So that the fallen leaves do not interfere with transport and pedestrians, the public gardens must be cleaned by utilities. This rule does not apply to parks, their green inhabitants live easier. Cleanliness is not conducive to plant health, because the soil stops receiving organic nutrition. Specially wearable fertilizers are the solution to the problem.
Often the design of squares is dedicated to the biography of one of the famous townspeople. In this case, the creativity of landscape designers is limited only to modest areas. In addition to classical sculptural images of historical figures, you can find figures of literary and fairy-tale characters here. If the main character of the landscaped area is a famous person from another country, the embassy of the hero's Fatherland can bear part of the costs of creating the ensemble.
The humble recreation sites of the townspeople are places where history is preserved. You can recall the Ver-Galan square in Paris, which was conceived by King Henry IV as a park, but the urban development allowed to preserve only a small fragment of the landscape that the monarch loved so much. Such a story is rare. Much more often the park protects archaeological monuments from destruction, which are hidden underground and will not be destroyed during the construction of buildings.
