Why have gardens always been an intrinsic part of European culture?

Question: Why have gardens always been an intrinsic part of European culture?

I find that the answer is fairly interdisciplinary and can be approached from various angles and draw on different discourses. A biologist might argue that our ancient relationship with plants is the root of for agriculture, which is represented on a smaller, more creative scale by gardens. An evolutionary biologist would further argue that many plants have co-evolved with and because of human influence, as neatly laid out by journalist Michael Pollan in his book The Botany of Desire (2001). While Pollan’s book examines the human relationship with plants on an industrial and monocultural scale, the same reasoning can be used as the foundation to answer the aforementioned question: we started gardens because we needed them, but we kept them because we wanted them--especially as they became multifunctional tools for sustenance and desire.

When talking about gardens with a discourse seated in ancient world history, I’ll go ahead and make the simple argument that gardens are an intrinsic part of European culture because the Romans showed up, sucked what we define as Europe today into the Roman Empire, and spread their culture—which included gardens and garden art—to early Europe. Rome had a nearly permanent influence on European culture, which can be seen in not only garden art but also fashion and visual art of the European Renaissance. Not unlike Roman gardens, medieval European gardens were enclosed, and often spaces of productive recreation or worship.

Roman Garden with Architecture, date unknown

Ignacio Pinazo Camarlench 

source: http://en.wahooart.com/@@/8LJ4BB-Ignacio-Pinazo-Camarlench-Roman-Garden-with-architecture

From the perspective of the social sciences, and my own perspective as well, I think that one of the strongest reasons that gardens have always been an intrinsic part of European culture is because they have been present at every level of society in Europe, from plebeians to nobility and giant institutions like the church.

Garden at Buckland Abbey, Devon

Source: http://mediumaevum.tumblr.com/

 The ubiquity of the garden—and its purpose--secured its place in European culture. Every level of feudalist European hierarchy has use for and access to a garden. This commonality helped make gardens intrinsic to European culture because of it’s accessibility—what is culture if not shared?

 

Plan for Versailles Garden, 1663

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardens_of_Versailles