Garden Elements Research Articles

Incorporation mechanism of traditional Chinese garden elements in modern urban landscape design: an exploratory analysis based on grounded theory

ABSTRACT Following China’s reform and opening up in 1978, the image of European and American city construction has shaped China’s modern urban environment, but the creation of Chinese cities’ original intrinsic cultural landscape has been neglected. This leads to a break in the inheritance of garden culture in contemporary public and open urban landscape design. This study investigates the process of integrating traditional Chinese gardens into contemporary landscapes using grounded theory. In this study, In Vivo Coding is utilized to conduct a thorough analysis of textual materials through a three-step process: Open Coding, Axial Coding, and Selective Coding saturation test. The identified data are meticulously coded and summarized, culminating in the construction of a theoretical model. The study revealed that the incorporation of traditional Chinese garden elements in contemporary urban landscape design involves several key aspects: firstly, employing the traditional layout and spatial form of the entire design site; secondly, integrating modern public landscape design scenes with traditional garden design concepts to evoke a distinct Chinese ambiance; furthermore, utilizing both modern technology and materials alongside traditional techniques to create multi-dimensional elements within the site. The present study systematically synthesizes and examines the incorporation of traditional Chinese garden elements in contemporary urban design across six dimensions. This research offers a theoretical framework for the preservation of traditional garden culture and its integration into modern landscape, as well as furnishing mechanisms and methodologies for integrating traditional culture into contemporary landscape design practice. This research provides a valuable reference for preserving and practically implementing traditional garden elements in contemporary urban landscapes.

“I Know Well and Appreciate the Repose and Delight to Be Found in Gardening”: Class, Gender, and “Garden Elements” in Charles Dickens’s Dombey and Son

ABSTRACT Drawing upon Michael Waters’s and Sarah Bilston’s studies of Victorian literary representations of gardens, this article delves into scenes, activities, and imagery related to gardens and gardening in Charles Dickens’s Dombey and Son. Examining these “garden elements” in the novel, it explores how seemingly apolitical garden scenes and gardening activities were embedded in Victorian schemas of gender and class configuration. Specifically, it analyses how Dickens skilfully exposes the unjust exploitation of women and the working class by a capitalist economy that prioritised the bourgeois male elite. The article argues that through his depiction of the transformative changes taking place in Staggs’s Gardens, Dickens expresses a cautious optimism towards the emerging railway economy, subtly suggesting that it has the potential to benefit the working class and supplant the out-dated mercantile economy symbolised by Dombey.

Integrated Eye-Tracking Response Surface Analysis to Optimize the Design of Garden Landscapes

Gardens not only provide people with a place for leisure and relaxation, they also contribute to improving urban ecological environments and promoting social interactions and cohesion. Additionally, from a psychological perspective, gardens play a role in alleviating stress, enhancing happiness, and improving the quality of life. Current research on gardens has primarily employed methods such as questionnaire surveys, environmental psychology analyses, and eye-tracking analyses; however, comprehensive studies on the relationships between multiple factors and levels in garden designs are lacking. Here, we propose a response surface analysis approach based on eye-tracking technology for the design and optimization of gardens. Firstly, the impacts of different garden elements on visitors’ psychology and fixation counts were analyzed using environmental psychology and eye-tracking analyses. Subsequently, the optimal range of each garden feature was determined through single-factor experiments, followed by response surface analysis to obtain the optimal value for each element. The results revealed that changes in garden elements such as the greenery ratio, number of buildings, and water saturation significantly affected visitors’ psychology. The greenery ratio had a greater impact than the number of buildings, which in turn had a greater impact than water saturation. This study is the first to analyze the relationships between multiple garden elements. A strong relationship was found between the greenery ratio and the number of buildings, as well as between the number of buildings and water saturation, while the relationship between the greenery ratio and water saturation was weaker. This approach can not only optimize garden designs but can also be widely applied in fields such as urban planning and public space transformation to enhance visitors’ comfort and satisfaction with the environment and promote sustainable urban development.

Evaluasi Lanskap Sejarah dan Budaya Berdasarkan Konsep Taman Islami di Area Masjid Agung Keraton Sumenep

The Islamic garden is a garden inspired by the garden of paradise which is often mentioned in the Qur'an and the Hadith of the Prophet. Jannah et al. (2015) conducted a study on Islamic gardens with the method of approaching the value of the content of the Qur'an and hadith, which examined the elements and characteristics of the park as well as sharia boundaries that must be considered in an Islamic garden. This study aims to continue the research which is applied to the mosque garden landscape through the evaluation stage, so that the final result can be recommended in the form of a design based on the concept of an Islamic garden. The research object chosen is the Landscape of the Jamik Sumenep Mosque. This research was conducted using a qualitative descriptive method and literature study, which consisted of the following stages: 1) Evaluation of the mosque garden landscape based on Islamic concepts, 2) User perception analysis, and 3) Preparation of recommendations for the mosque garden landscape design concept. The process of collecting qualitative descriptive data is done by direct observation in the field, interviews with related parties, distributing questionnaires and documentation. While the literature study was taken from the main literature in Islam, namely the Qur'an and hadith, along with other scientific literature related to the Islamic garden. Based on the results of the evaluation and perceptions of respondents, in general the garden landscape of the Jamik Sumenep Mosque is in accordance with the criteria for garden inspiration based on Islamic concepts, there are no garden elements and characteristics that are contrary to sharia. The resulting design recommendations are in the form of a site plan, adding plant species to the garden, adding a sinage, a fountain element, arranging parking lots, structuring circulation paths and adding trash cans. Respondents' perception stated that the garden landscape of the Jamik Sumenep mosque played a very important role in supporting the function of the mosque as a center of worship.
 
 Keywords: Mosque, Landscape Evaluation, Islamic Garden.

MEASURING TOURISTS’ VISUAL PERCEPTION OF GARDENS AROUND TAIHU LAKE RIM AREA BASED ON MULTI-SOURCE DATA

Tourists’ visual preferences are of paramount importance for the local garden environment assessment. However, the diversity of garden elements presents challenges in achieving uniform assessments. This study focuses on 65 modern gardens around Taihu Lake (太湖), utilizing image semantic segmentation and the Semantic Differential (SD) method to evaluate tourists’ visual perceptions, identifying 16 perceptual indicators associated with garden elements. The research findings indicate the following: (1) Modern gardens in different cities (Wuxi, Suzhou, Huzhou) offer distinct visual experiences to tourists. (2) Through quantitative analysis of garden elements and tourists’ visual perceptions, it is revealed that middle and high-rise vegetation, hydrology, architecture, and sketch elements enhance visual aesthetics, while main road and low-rise vegetation elements result in less pronounced perceptions. This study quantitatively explores the complexities in evaluating garden aesthetics and serves as a bridge between qualitative and quantitative aspects for future garden environmental impact assessments.

A Comparative Study of Chinese and Western Garden Culture: From the Perspective of Garden Elements

Gardens refer to natural environments and places where people play through certain artistic design methods. There are completely different concepts and expressions in gardening methods between China and the West. This article mainly conducts an in-depth comparative study of Chinese and Western garden culture from the perspective of garden elements. The article first outlines the development process of Chinese and Western garden culture and analyzes the influence of multiple factors such as historical development and ideological culture on its style formation. Then, by comparing and analyzing the landscape elements of Chinese and Western gardens, the article reveals the differences and characteristics between the two in design concepts, spatial layout, artistic decoration, and other aspects. Finally, based on existing literature, the article summarizes the phenomenon of the integration of Chinese and Western garden cultures and explores the trend of how Chinese and Western garden cultures can learn from each other, integrate, and innovate in the context of globalization.

In defence of urban community gardens

Abstract With the boom in urban living has come a boom in urban gardening. In particular, urban community gardening is an increasingly popular form of horticultural production, community involvement and connection to nature. Through the establishment and management of community gardens, biodiversity can flourish, with community gardens as ‘hotspots’ of flora and fauna within the urban matrix. Gardeners can deeply connect with the natural elements of gardens and thus learn about and gain appreciation for the natural world. Such interactions can combat the loss of nature experiences in cities. Despite their benefits for nature and for people, community gardens are threatened ecosystems as often temporary fixtures in city landscapes due to lack of land tenure and policy protection. In this perspective, we recognize community gardens as an important ecosystem in urban conservation and argue for the defence of urban community gardens by city policy. We formalize this activity and the value of these ecosystems with scientific evidence from ecological and social‐ecological research in 39 community gardens in Berlin and Munich, Germany. Although our data reveal that these gardens support large amounts of biodiversity and catalyse human‐nature connections, a lack of comprehensive documentation of social‐ecological benefits at the city level can make community gardens vulnerable to urban planning threats; we have seen losses of multiple research sites in the last 4 years of biodiversity research. Policy implications: To protect community gardens now and for future urban generations, we call for systematic and comprehensive data collection on community gardening activities and policy support for these urban ecosystems. Some cities are starting to do this and this can be scaled out. We argue for the recognition of urban community gardens as a physical land use and also of the gardeners themselves as important habitat managers and stewards of urban biodiversity. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Integrating Plant Physiology in Landscape Architecture: A Comprehensive Approach to Sustainable Garden Design

This paper delves into the convergence of plant physiology and landscape architecture, with the overarching objective of establishing a comprehensive framework for the creation of sustainable garden designs. The fusion of these disciplines allows landscape architects to harness a profound understanding of the intricate needs and intrinsic characteristics of plants. In doing so, they can craft gardens that not only exhibit resilience but also harmonize with the environment, all while appealing to the senses. This exploration encompasses a broad spectrum of plant physiological aspects, embracing themes like water and nutrient uptake, the intricate process of photosynthesis, and the complex responses plants exhibit when subjected to stressors. Furthermore, this paper extends its purview to practical applications of this botanical knowledge in the realm of garden design. It underscores the pivotal role played by plant physiology in guiding decisions regarding plant selection, the thoughtful arrangement of garden elements, and the implementation of maintenance practices. The ultimate aspiration is to underscore the significance of adopting a scientifically informed approach within landscape architecture—a mindset that can pave the way toward the creation of healthier, more sustainable, and aesthetically captivating outdoor spaces. Through this holistic integration of plant physiology and landscape architecture, we embark on a journey towards the conception of gardens that are not just visually appealing but also ecologically meaningful and enduring.

Virtual Reality-Based Multi-Sensory Design of Chinese Gardens under the Perspective of Spatial Narrative

Abstract This paper makes comprehensive use of virtual reality, virtual plants, and other technologies, integrates parametric plants and buildings and other modeling methods, and flexibly manages and organizes all kinds of garden elements through digital vector layers. Based on the OSG graphic rendering engine, it visualizes all sorts of 3D garden landscape models. Combining multi-sensory expressions, the parameter-driven multi-sensory design of virtual Chinese gardens is comprehensively constructed. The findings indicate that the scheme with decentralized placement on both sides has a receding time of 312s, and the area of human flow density has been enhanced. In the soundscape design, the birdsong sound was favored more, and the mean value of the birdsong sound scores in the botanical garden, plaza, and stream was 4.43. The Sig values of experiential, realism, interactivity, and content richness between Group A and Group B were all less than 0.05. Therefore, this paper successfully designs and realizes multisensory interactions between people and the garden scenario design.

Aesthetic and ecological characteristics of Prunus Taxa in landscape design: A Study in eastern and southeastern provinces of Türkiye

Plants play a crucial role in landscape design and are at the heart of landscape design. Climate change's purposeful plant choices could improve landscape design. In this study, it is tackeled using some native Subgen Amygdalus taxa in the landscape to make the natural environment flexible against global climate change, as some species are indispensable elements of plant breeders and gardens, which have adapted to the arid habitat and Türkiye is among the gene centers. The research was carried out in rural areas, afforestation areas and gardens in the provinces of Adıyaman, Hakkâri, Malatya, Şanlıurfa and Van and detected taxa were recorded on form through on-site observation, photographing and collected in accordance with the herbarium technique later to identify according to Browicz (1972) and Yazbek (2010). After field studies, the aesthetic and ecological characteristics of each of Subgenus Amygdalus were evaluated based on plant design. In the course of study fields, it was determined that P. dulcis, P. orientalis and P. arabica are used in afforestation and erosion control areas, P. dulcis in almond orchard plant, P. arabica, P. orientalis and P. spinosisima are used as hedge plants, and some taxa are used as rootstock and and they grow in different ecological areas with outstanding visual effect. In this study, it is aimed to determine Subgen Amygdalus growing naturally in study area, their aesthectic and ecologic features and the roles they can undertake in the landscape against climate crisis and to be introduced.

How to transform urban institutional green spaces into Ancillary Botanic Gardens to expand informal botanical learning opportunities in cities

Since many cities lack botanical gardens, we introduced the concept of Ancillary Botanic Gardens (ABG), which builds on the premise that organizations can expand informal botanical learning by adding a secondary function to their institutional green spaces. This study guides the application of the ABG concept in various spatial and functional contexts by offering practical and interpretive tools to organizations who are less used to working with nature but are interested in mitigating urban residents’ detachment from nature. Online maps of 220 botanic gardens were reviewed to define types of plant collections and produce an exhaustive list of physical botanic garden elements. The collected information was developed into an ABG field checklist that was tested on three case studies in Lebanon and then used to develop guidelines for ABG establishment. The guidelines and checklist are meant to empower and guide organizations interested in establishing an ABG.

Comparison of Rooftop Garden Elements in Japan and Indonesia. Study case of Ginza Six Garden, Japan, and PIM 3 Garden, Indonesia

A rooftop garden is located on the topmost level of a building and provides similar benefits as traditional urban green space while accommodating the limited land issue in cities. The practice of rooftop gardens keeps increasing in urban areas worldwide. There may be differences between rooftop gardens in different countries, be it in the design, the elements, or the activities. This study explores the difference between rooftop gardens in Indonesia and Japan, particularly Jakarta and Tokyo. This study aims to compare the characteristics of rooftop gardens in Jakarta and Tokyo. This study follows a descriptivequalitative approach. The data used in this study is based on visitors’ photos and reviews uploaded to the internet and supported by field observation. PIM 3 Garden’s design concept is based on the trend of citizen culture, which likes to update their activities on social media. In contrast, Ginza Six Garden’s design is based on the Ginza area's history, which combines traditional and modern culture. Since the design concepts are different, the garden elements and the user activities are also different. The main reason for these differences is most likely due to cultural differences. Indonesian people like sharing their activities on social media more than Japanese people. Although the gardens exhibit contrasting designs, elements, and user activities, both seem to accommodate their respective users’ needs and behaviors effectively.

Space Compositional Aspects Regarding the Importance of Trees in the Urban Landscape.

Individual trees and tree compositions provide a wide range of cultural ecosystem services, including playing a key role in defining urban character. In Hungary, urban landscape protection tools have recently been expanded, bringing the topic into the spotlight. However, the significance of natural elements (and particularly trees) in relation to the urban landscape is still under-researched. In this paper, using a novel methodology, the character-forming significance of trees and tree-compositional elements of historic gardens in Hungary that define the urban character is analysed and evaluated. The urban landscape protection tools that establish the current recognition of green elements within the urban landscape are also analysed. In addition, the spatial situations and characteristics making certain trees in historic gardens defining character elements within Hungarian settlements are studied. Reasons behind the lack of significant tree features in certain historic gardens, as well as the external and internal characteristics of tree elements that determine their visual impact have been categorised. The results reveal that visually important trees, while diverse, show distinct trends in terms of visibility and are subject to constant change. The results imply that a paradigm shift is necessary to maintain, design and regulate green infrastructure in relation to visually important trees.

China: Identity vs tolerance

The article analyzes the difficulties and compromise solutions that the Chinese architectural profession finds to meet the current trends in the context of changing civilization. Even after decades of changes and innovations, the Chinese architectural profession still has not been able to create distinctive characteristics of Chinese architecture to follow the aesthetics of modern Chinese people. The design of the Guanghua commercial complex in Chengdu presented in this article uses elements of traditional Chinese culture, gardens and calligraphy to create an “artistic concept” in contemporary architectural design that reflects the identity inherent in the place. The purpose of the article is to propose a new way of studying the ideas of modern Chinese architectural design.

Esthetic assessment of the ornamental forms of northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) and their use in garden and park compositions

Northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) is represented in the world by about 200 ornamental forms, 43 of which were discovered and described in landscaping and nurseries of Lviv. The first plantations in Lviv date back to the 1920s. They were introduced by the professor at the Medical Institute T. Vilchynskyi, who brought material for cuttings from a nursery in Kurnik (Poland). The decorative qualities of these cultivars were determined on the basis of characteristic features and evaluated in points: the shape and density of the crown, the color of the needles, the nature of branching, and the features of seed-bearing. These decorative qualities formed the basis for the construction of various elements of garden and park compositions with the participation of tapeworms, alleys, green walls, hedges, boskets, topiaries, and rock gardens. The highest number of points (12) was obtained by 46.4% of ornamental forms, 11 - 16.3%, 10 - 9.3%, and 8 -11.6%. Cultivars with a distinct regular crown shape received high evaluation points. The options for the spatial arrangement of individuals were proposed and the distance between seating positions was recommended. Taking into account the high plasticity of cultivars and the ability to form crowns, variants of clipped hedges and topiaries were recommended. Several models have been proposed based on the distribution of ornamental plant groups based on their symmetry, silhouettes, alignments, contrasts, colors, density, and sizes. Cultivars were selected for each variant, and their group arrangement was proposed.

WARSTWA KONSTRUKCYJNA OGRODU. RAMY DO BUDOWANIA KOMPOZYCJI

The garden has always been understood as a place sanctified by values that cause excitement and rapture in man. He became a character or a background, a scenery for other plays. The garden as a work has its frame - a structure on which all other garden elements, both decorative and functional, are 'hung'. Construction layer considerations include a fencing with an entrance, secondary fencing, a road, a house as the center, and dead trees. Understanding the priority we give to construction in garden design, and the function and importance of the elements in this layer, organizes thinking about the garden composition and allows you to understand the content encoded in the works of garden art and inspired by the garden.

Conservation and management of Chinese classical royal garden heritages based on 3D digitalization - A case study of Jianxin courtyard in Jingyi garden in fragrant hills

With the intent to accurately improve the conservation and management efficiency of cultural landscape heritage of Chinese classical royal gardens, digital information about Chinese gardens is thoroughly collected, and the accurately constructed information used in the model includes garden entity, spatial, attribute information, etc. By adopting 3D laser scanning technology and point cloud information processing in combination with the characteristics of Chinese garden elements, the landscape information about Chinese classical royal gardens is accurately classified, and a 3D digital information model of the gardens is constructed. The classified point cloud information, including various garden elements, is obtained, which provides accurate support for the subsequent informatization application of garden elements, heritage conservation, monitoring management, etc. After classifying garden information more accurately, the entity information data of Chinese classical royal gardens are processed with the point cloud data collected by means of 3D laser scanning and then classified. This article presented the techiques not only for one or two elements of a site, but the whole Chinese royal garden elements. Also for the built and natural - that is for structures, seconday or axuillary buildings, built garden featurs and natural topograhy and vegetation. In the process, attention should be given to the collection and processing of classical garden terrain environments and rockery spaces, resulting in improvement in the correlation between multisource information data, which can greatly improve the accuracy and management efficiency of garden spatial information and provide broader application prospects for future conservation and management of Chinese landscape cultural heritage.

Comparative analysis of the nineteenth century Austrian Empire maps applied to the protection and restoration of designed landscapes

The Second Military Survey and the Austrian Cadastre are two of the most important maps of Austrian Empire for landscape analyses. They show the territories encompassing twelve current European countries; both were created around the same time in nineteenth century, but each of them presents different detailed data concerning historical gardens and designed landscapes. Their comparative analysis allows to reconstruct brilliant spatial solutions and elements, which currently do not exist or are hard to perceive. The research concerning both famous garden estates and the villages near Krakow proves that such studies of the Austrian Empire maps are necessary to be applied to the landscape designing and spatial development. They make it possible to adapt historical forms to today`s needs, design appropriate spatial solutions, protect cultural heritage or even to restore non-existent elements of historical gardens and designed landscapes.

The Persian Presence in Victorian Poetry, by Reza Taher-Kermani

Reviewed by: The Persian Presence in Victorian Poetry by Reza Taher-Kermani Annmarie Drury (bio) The Persian Presence in Victorian Poetry, by Reza Taher-Kermani; pp. vi + 231. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2020, $110.00, $24.95 paper. In The Persian Presence in Victorian Poetry, Reza Taher-Kermani has written a welcome study illuminating how elements of Persian language, literature, and culture circulate in Victorian poetry. British conceptions and misconceptions mediate those elements, and part of the work this book performs is tracing the development and transmission of ideas about Persia in the anglophone sphere. Taher-Kermani's approach in examining translation alongside works originally written in English is important and persuasive, as is the understanding of cultural mobility at work in his term "presence." An English text does not have to be translated from Persian or even "on or about Persia" (2) to manifest Persian "presence," which denotes a "spectrum of literary engagements including translation, imitation, interpretation, representation, conscious allusion, and indirect borrowing" (4) that operate with varying "levels of intensity and significance" in a poem (2). The first two chapters take up the history of representation of Persia and patterns of imaginative engagement with it. Chapter 1, "Persia in the West," starting with classical Greece, steps in long strides to cover its territory, yet it nevertheless offers an argument. Two threads run through anglophone ideas about Persia, Taher-Kermani asserts: an ancient, mythical/romantic one deriving from the Bible and classical Greece, and another deriving from "real-world" interactions (13). The latter does not cancel the former. In a theme that unifies his study, he finds "the persistence of an ancient or mythic Persia" when "actual knowledge of the country was increasing" (13). The activity of the brothers Anthony and Robert Sherley in the Safavid court at the turn of the seventeenth century provides a paradigm for how "political aims in Persia lead to imaginative manifestations of 'Persia' in England," and Taher-Kermani sees this pattern at work "in the conception of every major work of Persian nature or origin in nineteenth-century Britain" (28). There is good discussion of Sir William Jones and his strategies for raising the esteem of Persian literature among anglophone readers. Chapter 2, "Persia and Nineteenth-Century English Poetry," aims to show the diverse ways in which Persia inhabits nineteenth-century poetry by reporting on Taher-Kermani's study of a corpus of some 370 poems. Various patterns emerge: the prominence of the trope of the garden, for example, and within that, the poet Henry Alford's use of garden elements to signal mood in a Persian style in his historical-fanciful poem "Henry Martyn at Shiraz" (1851). Where did Alford learn to do this? Perhaps from translations of Hafiz, Taher-Kermani suggests. Omar Khayyám, as author, name, and idea, is unsurprisingly prominent in Taher-Kermani's corpus, but other Persian writers less familiar to Victorianists—such as the thirteenth-century poet Sa'di—have significant presence too. The chapter also traces attitudes toward Firdausi's epic Shahnameh (1010), including the influential skepticism of E. G. Browne. Altogether, it conveys a sense of the context from and into which the poems central to the next chapters emerged. The next three chapters move chronologically through poems by Matthew Arnold, Edward FitzGerald, and Robert Browning. Chapter 3 explores Arnold's "Sohrab and Rustum" (1853). Taher-Kermani traces its textual ancestry to a review in 1850 by Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve (whom Arnold greatly admired) of a French translation of the Shahnameh by Julius von Mohl. In this heavily mediated encounter with Firdausi, Arnold's [End Page 327] use of Sainte-Beuve has a "paradoxical" quality (10), since Sainte-Beuve believed "primary" epic (such as Firdausi's or Homer's) was "unrepeatable" (126). The chain of transmission illustrates how a Victorian poet could use Persian source material without reading either Persian or even an English translation of a Persian text, but this chapter becomes most interesting when it examines the text of Arnold's poem, particularly its epic similes. Taher-Kermani shows, for example, how a simile centered in the fallen pillars of Persepolis—delivered as a bereft Rustum sits by the son he has...

Reading Symbols in Japanese Garden

Abstract Creating a Japanese garden raises a number of methodological questions. The form of these gardens are well known, but their religious symbols are not well researched in English literature. The aim of the research is to introduce and interpret the religious symbols and references present in Japanese gardens, to categorize their appearance by taking into account their unique characteristics, their role in the garden, contributing to a deeper understanding and the understanding of the form-shaping approach. The gardens presented by this study are closely related to the practice of the religious community that creates or maintains them. The garden elements do not only serve an aesthetic purpose, but with their spatial presence they constantly refer to religious teachings or attitudes for those who are able to read them.