Egyptian Gardens

Early Egyptian gardens were designed to be functional as well pleasing to look at and aromatic which combined a variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers grown for their beauty and perfume.  As well as being visually appealing, Egyptian gardens also provided food and wine.  Terraces and pergolas were used to allow shade when it was needed, let the breeze carry the perfume that was offered by the flowers, as well as provide a view of the gardens.  Gardens were an essential element to the Egyptian people and were considered particularly important.  Usually, the approach to the various design elements of an Egyptian garden was symmetry and was comprised of a pond which was bordered with rows of trees.  Typically, the ponds were rectangular or T-shaped and at times were stocked with fish.  Generally, the shortest species of trees were planted nearest to the pond and the tallest were found in the outer rows.  Like the ponds and housing, the gardens were also rectangular in design and showed a complex understanding of geometric concepts.  The people of Egypt used irrigation channels which meant they did not need to manually transport their water from the river.  These man-made ponds allowed them to expand on their agriculture and successfully grow their garden away from the flood waters of the river.  The gardens were often situated on the North side of the main living area to allow for cool breezes to pass through.  Many, if not most of the plants grown in ancient Egyptian gardens had religious or symbolic significance.  The creation of themed gardens from around the world has become a popular option when designing the gardens of today.  When adding Egyptian garden elements to your garden design, combine trees and plant species such as Acacias, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Jacarandas, Date Palms, Dill, Figs, Garlic, Mango, Mint, Olives, Bird of Paradise, Iris, Jasmine, Lotus and Narcissus.  The gardens of Egypt determined many of the basic themes that we recognise in our modern designs.  One of the main similarities between the two gardens is that designing a useful and functional garden is becoming more popular in modern society.  On a smaller scale one can see this in the way of “edible gardens”.  The Egyptians took great pride in a beautifully landscaped garden, and this is a trait that has been passed down to our modern times.

Ancient Egypt

Egyptian Garden Design