martedì 11 luglio 2017

Lancelot 'Capability' Brown and the Serpentine Style of Garden Design.




Intorno alla metà del XVIII secolo va consolidandosi un tipo particolare di architettura del paesaggio di cui i grandi proprietari terrieri britannici avanzano richiesta per la creazione dei loro parchi: costoro, guardando indietro, molto indietro, spingendosi nella storia ben prima del barocco, del rinascimento, del medioevo, riscoprono le origini della cultura classica in uno stile che venne definito Augusteo (Augustan Style);


Urne Augustee a Chiswick House Park




gli storici collocano la sua nascita nell'anno 1730, anche se mi sembra eccessivo e troppo rigoroso definire un anno preciso per una corrente di pensiero che diventa tendenza.

Le caratteristiche di questo stile, come ci suggerisce la sua stessa definizione, vengono attinte dal mondo classico, per cui i parchi ad esso ispirati, ricordando i paesaggi dell'antichità, erano concepiti principalmente come luoghi di solitudine e riflessione sulla letteratura, sulla la storia, sulle scienze naturali e sugli affari del giorno.
Ciò non significa che potessero prestarsi anche a discussioni con amici, le quali potevano aver luogo passeggiando per i giardini collocati tra boschi, corsi d'acqua, e piccoli templi o sorseggiando tè seduti in una posizione panoramica. Inutile dire che, per coloro che avevano vissuto il Grand Tour, il giardino augusteo costituiva una sorta di luogo dei ricordi in cui custodire souvenirs, quali urne, obelischi e statue 




Obelisco e busti Augustei (Orazio e Virgilio) a Chiswick House Park




e sarà infatti, tra il 1720 e il 1745 proprio la scelta di tali elementi decorativi a divenire il punto cardine di tale stile, tanto da essere considerati persino più importanti del progetto generale stesso del paesaggio. 

William Kent (1685-1748) fu uno dei primi designer professionisti capaci di realizzare questa visione ed, anzi, divenne il principale esponente della progettazione del paesaggio così concepita agli inizi del periodo georgiano, quando la storia dell'Inghilterra era ad una svolta epocale, ovvero quando morta la regina Anne, nel 1714, finì la dinastia Stuart e si fece avanti quella hannoveriana, cui poi succedette, con Victoria & Albert, quella di Saxe-Coburg and Gotha che perdura tutt'oggi sul trono britannico ( anche se i sentimenti anti-tedeschi che erano vivi nel popolo britannico spinsero re Edoardo VII a mutare nel 1917 il nome della casa regnante in Windsor).

L'esempio più eloquente di parco concepito seguendo l'Augustan Style lo ritroviamo presso Chiswick House, la villa neopalladiana fatta costruire nel 1725, per la cui progettazione ed organizzazione del verde Kent diede il meglio di sé.

"Augusto era abituato a vantarsi di aver trovato la sua capitale fatta di mattoni, e di averla lasciata in marmo".

(Svetonio in Augusto, capitolo 28, ci ricorda che egli fece costruire a Roma il Tempio ed il Foro di Marte Vendicatore; Il Tempio di Giove Tonante in Campidoglio; quello di Apollo Palatino, con biblioteche pubbliche; il portico e la basilica di Caio e Lucio; i portici di Livia e Ottavia ed il teatro di Marcello. L'esempio del sovrano fu imitato dai suoi ministri e generali ed il suo amico Agrippa lasciò dietro di sé il monumento immortale del Pantheon. )

Edward Gibbons, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. 1,  Chapter II: The Internal Prosperity In The Age Of The Antonines. Part III, 1776

Va innanzitutto detto che lo Serpentine Style sarà per sempre associato al nome di Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, al punto da poterlo quasi definire Brownian, ma siccome altri suoi contemporanei adottarono tale stile, sembra più appropriato definirlo in base alla sua caratteristica precipua, ossia l'informalità.

I passi attraverso i quali l'Augustan Style si è evoluto nello Serpentine Style costituiscono un affascinante episodio nella storia del gusto ed interessano principalmente l'assetto paesaggistico di Castle Howard, ovvero fondamentale a tale proposito fu l'intento di conservare i boschi di Wray Wood e Henderskelf Lane che erano parte integrante della proprietà e che si trovavano su terreni scoscesi e pendii che era un vero peccato spianare e distruggere:


Facciata di accesso a Castle Howard vista da sinistra con sullo sfondo la 'macchia' di faggi
di Wray Wood



Wray Wood occupava una bassa collina ricoprendola fittamente con alberi di faggio antichi ad est del nuovo edificio che Vanbrugh (e Hawksmoor) progettarono tra il 1699 e il 1712 e si decise di conservarlo dotandolo di opere idrauliche e percorsi labirintici per farlo divenire quanto di più superlativo lo stile naturalistico potesse mai raggiungere; oggi Wray Wood sta recuperando il suo aspetto naturale, anche se le acque si sono prosciugate gli alberi, abbattuti con il 1940, stanno ricrescendo vigorosi.

Henderskelf Lane sopravvive intatta in qualità di sentiero che costeggia il fianco meridionale di Wray Wood e unisce Castle Howard al Tempio dei Quattro Venti. Era un' antica pista percorribile a cavallo che doveva essere eliminata o raddrizzata secondo la logica dello stile Augusteo, ma non solo venne mantenuta, venne trasformata in un'ampia passeggiata erbosa che comanda una prospettiva quasi 'eroica' del paesaggio. 

E partendo da Castle Howard 




tale evoluzione passa attraverso i giardini di Studley Royal (1715-30),




di Duncombe Hall (1713-50), 



 di Rousham House (1726-39),



 e di Stourhead House (1726-39), 


esempi brillanti del modo in cui un concetto di design disciplinato possa essere commisurato con la genialità e l'estro di chi si adopera per lasciare che il verde conservi la propria 'libertà', la propria 'spontaneità', il concetto di dinamicità che l'Augustan Style, fiero nella propria immobilità, non conosceva assolutamente.

Formatosi al fianco di Kent, ma divenuto con il tempo landscape-designer indipendente, Capability Brown non mutò durante i 32 anni di lavoro autonomo il proprio stile che può essere facilmente rappresentato dalla univoca definizione di Serpentine Style, le cui caratteristiche più salienti sono dati da  gruppi circolari di alberi, dalla presenza del prato erboso davanti alla casa padronale, dal lago a serpentina, dagli alberi a 'cintura' che racchiudono la proprietà e dalla strada carrabile che arriva davanti l'ingresso principale curvando, ferma restando la presenza di elementi classici quali templi, per esempio, a lui molto cari, ma scorti tra le sinuosità di un prato lasciato a maggese e perciò prodigo della bellezza dei fiori spontanei che conferiscono a questo stile il tocco più naturalistico in assoluto. 


Felicissima di essere tornata a trattare di questo argomento che tanto mi cattura ( amo 
il giardinaggio, i parchi ed i giardini e studiare la loro evoluzione nel tempo mi affascina !) e nella speranza di avervi intrattenuti con diletto vi abbraccio caramente ringraziandovi sempre più !


A presto 💕










FONTI BIBLIOGRAFICHE:

Jane Brown, The Omnipotent Magician: Lancelot 'Capability' Brown: 1716–1783, Random House, UK, 2011;


Christopher Hussey, English Gardens and Landscapes: 1700-1750, Country Life Limited, 1967;


Roger Turner, Capability Brown: And the Eighteenth-Century English Landscape,  The History Press; Reprint edition, 2014.










- picture 1 - Lancelot Capability Brown's portrait



Around the middle of the XIXth century there was the consolidation of a particular type of landscape architecture the creation of which the great British landowners ask for their parks: they, looking back, far back, well before than Baroque, Renaissance, and the Middle Ages, rediscover the origins of the classical culture in a style called not by chance Augustan Style;



- picture 2 - Augustan urns at Chiswick House Park



Historians place its birth in the year 1730, although I think it to be too much and too rigorous to define a precise year for a trend of thought that becomes 'vogue'.

The characteristics of this style, as its definition suggests, are drawn from the classical world, so the parks inspired by it, recalling the landscapes of antiquity, were mainly conceived as places of solitude and reflection on literature, History, on the natural sciences and on the affairs of the day.
It does not mean that there people could also have discussions with friends, which could have taken place by strolling around the gardens, located among the woods, the waterways, and small temples or while sipping tea sitting in a panoramic position. Needless to say, for those who had lived the Grand Tour, the Augustan garden was a sort of memorial place where souvenirs, such as urns, obelisks and statues, found their most suitable place.



- picture 3 and picture 4 - Obelisk and Augustan busts (Horace and Virgil) at Chiswick House Park



And in fact, between 1720 and 1745 the choice of such decorative elements will become the 'hub' of this style, so as to be considered even more important than the general design of the landscape itself.

William Kent (1685-1748) was one of the first professional designers able to realize this vision and, indeed, became the main exponent of landscape design so conceived at the beginning of the Georgian period when the History of England was at an epochal turn, since when Queen Anne died in 1714, the Stuart dynasty ended and the Hanoverian age begun, followed by Victoria & Albert, belonging to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which continues to this day on the British throne (although the Anti-Germans feelings 
which were alive in the British people during the period of the Great War pushed King Edward VII to change the name of the reigning house into Windsor in 1917).

We may find the most eloquent example of park designed following the Augustan Style at Chiswick House, the Neopaganian villa built in 1725, for the design and the organization of the green of which Kent gave the best of himself.


"Augustus was accustomed to boast that he had found his capital of brick, and that he had left it of marble."

(Svetonio in Augustus, Chapter 28, reminds us that he built in Rome the Temple and the Avenger's Mars Forum, the Temple of Toning Jupiter in the Capitol, that of Apollo Palatine with public libraries, the portico and the basilica of Caio Lucio, the porticoes of Livia and Ottavia, and the theater of Marcello.The example of the ruler was imitated by his ministers and generals and his friend Agrippa left behind him the immortal monument of the Pantheon.)

Edward Gibbons, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. 1, Chapter II: The Internal Prosperity In The Age Of The Antonines. Part III, 1776

It must first be said that the Serpentine Style will be forever associated with the name of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, so that it can almost be defined Brownian, but as other contemporaries adopted that same style, it seems more appropriate to define it according to its precipuous characteristic, that is the informality.

The steps through which the Augustan Style evolved into the Serpentine Style are a fascinating episode in the history of taste and involves first of all the landscaping setting of Castle Howard, since it was fundamental to this purpose the intent of preserving the woods of Wray Wood and Henderskelf Lane that were integral to the property and found themselves on rough terrain and slopes that it was a real shame to flatten and destroy:



- picture 5 - Facade of access to Castle Howard seen from the left with, in the background, the 'stain' of beechwoods of Wray Wood



Wray Wood occupied a low hill covering it thickly with ancient beech trees at the east of the new building that Vanbrugh (and Hawksmoor) designed between 1699 and 1712 and they decided to preserve it equipping it with hydraulic works and labyrinthine paths to make it become the most superlative the naturalistic style could ever be; today Wray Wood is recovering its natural appearance, given though the waters have dried up, its trees, which were cut down in the 1940s, are now growing vigorously.

Henderskelf Lane survives intact as a path running along the southern side of Wray Wood joyining Castle Howard with the Four Wind Temple. It was an ancient track where to go horseback that had to be eliminated or straightened according to the logic of the Augustan Style, but not only it was preserved, it was even transformed into a large grassy promenade that commands an almost "heroic" perspective of the landscape.

And starting from Castle Howard



- picture 6 - collage



such an evolution goes through the gardens of Studley Royal (1715-30),



- picture 7 - collage



of Duncombe Hall (1713-50),



- picture 8 - collage



of Rousham House (1726-39)



- picture 9 - collage



 and of Stourhead House (1726-39),



- picture 10 - collage



brilliant examples of how a concept of disciplined design can be commensurate with the genius and the enthusiasm of those who are working to let the green retain its own 'freedom', its 'spontaneity', i.e. the concept of dynamism that the Augustan Style, proud of his own immobility, did not know at all.

Capability Brown trained himself side by side with Kent, but though with the time he became independent landscape-designer, he never changed his style during the 32 years of self-employment, style which can easily be represented by the unique definition of Serpentine Style, since its most salient features are given by a circular groups of trees, the presence of the lawn in front of the manor house, the serpentine lake, the 'belt' of trees that enclose the property and the curving road leading to the main entrance, without renouncing to the presence of classical elements such as temples, for example, very dear to him, but placed among the sinuousness of fallow lawns, and therefore lavish of the beauty presented by the spontaneous flowers that give this style the most naturalistic touch ever.



Sincerely overjoyed by dealing back with this topic that amazes me so much 
(I love gardening, visiting parks and gardens and studying their evolution during the times fascinates me such a lot!) and in the hope of having entertained you with delight,
I'm embracing you all with heartfelt gratitude,
thanking you more and more!





See you soon 💕











BIBLIOGRAPHIC SOURCES:

Jane Brown, The Omnipotent Magician: Lancelot 'Capability' Brown: 1716–1783, Random House, UK, 2011;


Christopher Hussey, English Gardens and Landscapes: 1700-1750, Country Life Limited, 1967;


Roger Turner, Capability Brown: And the Eighteenth-Century English Landscape,  The History Press; Reprint edition, 2014.







68 commenti:

  1. Dany, questi giardini sono uno spettacolo, da passarci un bel pomeriggio di tarda estate.
    Ti abbraccio

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Manu
      hai ragione mia cara, un intero pomeriggio a metà settembre, immagina che delizia ... anche se buona parte delle fioriture sarà esaurita, credo che il verde di alcuni alberi in quel periodo cominci già ad avvertire l'approssimarsi dell'autunno !

      Ti invio un fortissimo abbraccio, dolcissima,
      che ti accompagni per quanto rimane di questa calda giornata d'estate,
      grazie ancora e sempre, con tutto il cuore ♥∗✿*✿∗♥

      Elimina
  2. Beautiful pictures and estates! Just lovely. :)

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Gentle Joy
      I'm so glad you loved it, your words mean so much to me Dearest One !

      Wishing you a most beautiful remainder of your week,
      sending hugs and love to you ❥

      Elimina
  3. Having toured many homes and gardens, it's nice to be able to pick out the style elements and now i know who inspired some of them!

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ messymimi
      your words fill my heart with the deepest joy ever, thank you Sweetie !

      With the utmost gratitude for being so supportive - I just love your comments ! -
      I'm sending blessings on your days to come,
      may the remainder of your week be as beauty-ful as you ♡ஐ♡

      Elimina
  4. Landscaping can be ever so beautiful if one knows what they are doing. Lovely.

    It's wonderful to learn how this was done such a long time ago.

    Have a fabulous day, my friend. ♥♥♥

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Sandee
      I'm sincerely glad to read your so nice words of appreciation, they're the most beautiful gift to me !

      Wishing you too a most wonderful day,
      I'm sending my dearest love to you ಌ•❤•ಌ

      Elimina
  5. What amazingly beautiful properties...the landscaping is gorgeous! I have been wanting an archway of green myself! Thank you for sharing these lovely images....Have a wonderful week Dany....thinking of you and sending hugs! Linda

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Linda
      you're always so hertily welcome, Dearie, you're such a bright light to me !

      Your beautiful words fill my heart to overflowing and I'm so so grateful to you for this, ... always !

      May your weekend be blessed with joy and wonder,
      thinking of you too with much love ✿⊱╮

      Elimina
  6. All the homes and landscapes are gorgeous, dear Daniela! How lovely to see these beautiful photos! Thank you so much for sharing, and I hope you are having a wonder filled week, my cherished friend. :)

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Linda
      I thank you from the bottom of my heart for gracing my blog today, dearest, precious friend of mine, blessed be !

      So pleased to read that you've enjoyed this article,
      I'm sending blessings on the end of your week,
      may it be filled with joy and smiles ♡❤♡

      Elimina
  7. I'd heard of this style, but never knew what it was, Dany!
    My goodness, these homes and grounds are SO beautiful.
    Thank you for sharing here, sweet friend.
    Sending you hugs from across the ocean.
    xo.

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Lisa
      it is I who wish to thank you, and I do it wholeheartedly, Dearest One, your amusement and appreciation make my heart sing !

      Hope you had the best of weeks,
      I'm sending hugs and ever much love to you,
      enjoy your weekend with gladness, Sweetie,
      thanks once again ⊰✽*Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ*✽⊱

      Elimina
  8. You have shown place in the UK I have not even been to yet. Nice series of photos

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Bill Nicholls
      you're so welcome, your beautiful words bless this evening of mine, thank you !

      Sending hugs to you *•♥♥•*

      Elimina
  9. These are some wonderful scenes! I would love to wander around there taking photos :) I guess I like the old architecture so much because the US and New Zealand don't have such long histories.

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ betty-NZ
      maybe it's so, darling friend, but I have to admit that English old architecture always wins my heart even if Italy has such an old history, also as architectural tradition ... English manors are so, so charming, there's nothing else so captivating to me :) !

      Trusting your week is a blessed one,
      I'm sending hugs and ever much love to you,
      thank you so much for taking the time for visiting and commenting,
      you're always so heartily welcome, Sweetie ❥

      Elimina
  10. Oh what gorgeous estates and gardens. What bliss it would be to wander around these beautiful gardens and see what is revealed around each corner. Thank you, Dany, once again for enlightening me once again.....this time on these amazing gardens and estates.

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Kim
      it is I who want to thank you, precious friend of mine, I'm always in high spirits after reading your words both of enjoyment and appreciation, blessed be !

      Wishing you wonderful days to come,
      with utmost, sincere gratitude ~ஐ~

      Elimina
  11. que maravilhoso espetáculo estes jardins !!!
    me encanta muito a técnica com que construíam e preservam locais que parecem ser sagrados de tão lindos..
    o respeito por tudo que existe...
    grande abraço e muito obrigada por compartilhar.
    :o)

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Kr.Eliane
      para mim estes desenhado por Capability Brown continuam a estar entre os mais belos jardins do mundo, mesmo depois de tantos anos!

      Um grande abraço com todo o meu coração, mui querida amiga,
      e sua semana continuará com alegria ♥*♡*♥

      Elimina
  12. Dany this was interesting, I wasn't aware that there is different styles of gardening as like Era's in time, I just thought each had gardener or landscaper had their own style. I too love walking through the gardens, I think that was one of my most enjoyable things while living in England to do on the weekends :) I love the architecture of buildings too, well of the old ones at least, the more modern aren't as interesting to me these days.
    Wishing you a lovely remainder of the week!

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Conniecrafter
      I think that having strolls in those parks is the most relaxing thing you can do during your weekend, I'm sure you're treasuring every little moment you spent in England when you lived there, Dearest One !

      Sending blessings of joy on your new week,
      ღ~ with all my love ~ღ

      Elimina
  13. Oh, this beautiful scenery!! SO lush and green and inviting! Makes me wonder just what Heaven will look like, when we see such beauty down here. Thank you for sharing and for always making this spot such a comforting place to visit, sweet friend. God bless you.

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Cheryl
      cherished friend of mine, you're such a bright light, you're truly brightening this evening of mine with the light of your Love, God bless !

      Thanking you for gracing my blog with your inner Joy and deep Faith,
      I'm sending my dearest love to you •♥•*Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ*•♥•

      Elimina
  14. Anch'io sono sempre affascinata dalla bellezza di parchi e giardini. Grazie per avermi introdotta in queste meravigliose immagini di pace e freschezza
    Bacioni Alessandra

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Alessandra
      carissima, preziosa amica mia, mi chiedo cosa sarebbe ~ My little old world ~ senza la tua inestimabile presenza !

      Ti invio il mio più caro abbraccio per augurarti
      una piacevole serata ed un sereno riposo ...
      ed anche un bacio ... grande grande ಌ•❤•ಌ

      Elimina
  15. Dear Daniela,

    the gardens and architecture are so beautiful and it looks really restful with all the green pasture and trees.
    Hope all is well with you and many thanks for the kind visit to my blog.
    Wishing you a happy weekend
    hugs
    Carolyn

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Carolyn
      Dearest, Lovely Lady, it's always such a delight to welcome you here, your nice and kind words of appreciation sound like a sweet music to my heart, and I'm so so grateful to you for this !

      In the hope that you're doing well,
      I'm sending blessings on the remainder of your week,
      may it be filled with love, joy and smiles ♡ஐ♡

      Elimina
  16. What lovely blog It is very claming, Colors so soft
    HPS Laura

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Laura
      you're so heartily welcome, new friend of mine !
      Since you also have siuch a nice blog, I'm following you with joy, how about following each other ?!?

      *♥* Wishing you a most lovely day *♥*

      Elimina
  17. Beautiful spots! Thank you for taking us there.

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Deb Nance at Readerbuzz
      it is I who thank you, dearest friend, wholeheartedly !

      Sending hugs and ever much love to you,
      with utmost gratitude ⊰✽*❖*✽⊱

      Elimina
  18. I loved this one, Dany, Capability Brown is one of my favorite historical heroes. Did you happen to see the film A Little Chaos?
    Amalia
    xo

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Amalia
      Good Morning Dearie and thanks most sincerely for your so precious presence here !
      Honestly it's the very first time I happen to hear about this film, but if it's about Capability Brown and his artworks I'd love to watch it for sure, thank you for your suggestion !

      Always thinking of you with love and gratitude,
      I'm wishing you a joy-filled day ✿⊱╮

      Elimina
  19. Incantevole post, carissima Daniela, che mi ha portato refrigerio e tanta serenità, alla vista di immagini così stupende!
    E poi è innegabile che passerei ore a leggere queste "chicche" che ci narri con tanto amore e soprattutto grande conoscenza dei temi che tratti.
    Un abbraccio, buon proseguimento di domenica
    Susanna

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Susanna
      mia dolce, sei sempre talmente generosa e prodiga di elogi che quasi mi confondi :) !!!

      Ti ringrazio dal profondo del cuore per le bellissime parole che sempre scrivi nei tuoi commenti e ti abbraccio forte come non mai per augurarti una serena giornata d'estate,
      grazie ancora, ... e sempre, carissima ♡❤♡

      Elimina
  20. what fabulous landscaped gardens. he was a real horticulural artist

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Margaret Adamson
      sweet friend, he was the most famous and 'capable' not only of his age, but of the whole History of gardening and landscaping to the point to be still a model for us today after centuries, he was truly a genius !

      Thanking you heartily for your so precious presence here - your words mean so much to me -,
      I'm sending blessings of joy across the many miles ❀≼♥≽❀

      Elimina
  21. Beautiful landscapes of the garden.

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Rajesh
      I sincerely thank you, I'm so glad you loved this post of mine !

      Wishing you a wonderful remainder of your week,
      with heartfelt gratitude *•♥♥•*

      Elimina
  22. Awesome serpentine garden scapes, thanks for sharing
    Happy Mosaic Monday

    much love...

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Gillena Cox
      I'm always in such good spirits when you're visiting me here, dear, dearest friend, I thank you from the bottom of my heart !

      Sincerely happy for your words of enjoyment,
      I'm trusting that your day is filled with so many little things which to be glad for,
      thanking you once again, Sweetie ❥

      Elimina
  23. Daniela, Thanks for sharing. Have a great day. Sylvia D.

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Sylvia
      I'm sincerely grateful to you for this so welcome visit of yours, darling friend !

      So glad to have pleased you,
      I'm sending hugs and ever much love to you,
      may the remainder of your week be filled with joy and smiles ಌ❀ಌ

      Elimina
  24. Garden styles, like almost anything else, evolved over the years. I do enjoy reading about the landscapes and the people who created them. Beautiful post, Dani.

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Lorrie
      I'm thanking you wholeheartedly, sweetest friend, to have you here with your so lovely words of appreciation always bless my heart !

      Trusting you're having the best of weeks,
      I'm sending much love on your days to come •♥•♥•♥•

      Elimina
  25. Good Morning, Dany! Your posts are always so interesting and I learn so much. Thanks for the information on William Kent. I love gardens and the history behind the designs. Happy Monday!

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Snap
      your so nice and kind words make my heart sing, Dearest One, thank you !!!

      Have yourself a joy-filled day,
      Lovely Lady ✿*✿

      Elimina
  26. How I enjoyed seeing these fine examples of English country house gardens, your post made me feel quite homesick for the land of my birth!
    Happy Mosaic Monday from hot and humid Florida, USA!

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Maggie
      Darling Friend, I didn't really mean to make you feel homesick, forgive me, indeed, I wanted you all to enjoy such Beauty, your England is the most charming and inspiring Land of the whole Europe, believe me, you have to be proud of your birthplace !

      Hope you're spending a lovely holiday together with your beloved ones,
      I'm sending hugs, love and blessings to you ♥¸¸.•¨¯`• ♥

      Elimina
  27. Dearest Dany, as always your research and attention to detail astounds me. Each post is like a miniature history lesson, and I do love my history. Love, Mimi xxx

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Mimi
      your words of praise confuse me and leave me speechless ... you're too generous, dear, darling friend of mine !

      Thanking you for gracing my Blog today,
      both with your so precious presence
      and with your so beautiful words,
      I'm sending you all my love,
      may it reach you despite the many miles separating us ~✻ღღ✻

      Elimina
  28. Lancelot Brown was a man of vision and an extremely talented architect, designer and gardner. He has left us with so much beauty. Thank you for sharing Daniela. Have a wonderful week :)

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Prunella Pepperpot
      I feel so blessed by having you here today, your lovely comments are like bright rays of cheerful sunshine, thank you Dearie !

      ⊰♥⊱ Sending hugs and more hugs to you ⊰♥⊱

      Elimina
  29. What an interesting post Dany. Mr. Brown's project was not a modest one, no way :) Great green & natural looking landscape, grass and trees... No flowers as in the Cottage Garden style :) I love the water aereas.

    Wishing sunshine to your busy July 💕

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ riitta
      it's always such a delight to welcome you here, Dear, Dearest Friend of mine, you're such a bright light, I heartily thank you for your so beautiful words of appreciation, I'm so glad you loved it !

      Wishing you a most lovely remainder of your Saturday and Sunday ahead,
      always thinking of you with so much love and thankfulness ಌ•❤•ಌ

      Elimina
  30. Lovely pictures, phenomenal gardens.
    Regards:)*

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Monika B.
      I welcome you with such a big hug, thank you for your so nice and kind words !

      Wishing you all my best ✿⊱╮

      Elimina
  31. Landscape architecture fascinates me as well .... and how I love that fellow's name: Capability! How could a child named that fail? Wow.

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Sallie
      Dearest One, with your words you really put a smile on my face !
      His real first name was Lancelot, Capabilty was the nickname they gave him after he succeeded and affirmed himself as the most refined and sought after landscape designer of his time.

      Thanking you more and more for being always so interested and supportive,
      I'm sending hugs, love and blessings on your way ❥

      Elimina
  32. What beautiful photos and properties.... the gardens and landscaping is just lovely. Thank you for sharing these. :)

    RispondiElimina
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    1. @ Gentle Joy
      it is I who thank you, dearest friend of mine, your words of appreciation bless my heart ... always !

      Wishing you all the best for this remainder of your week,
      I'm sending all my love to you,
      with utmost thankfulness ♡ஐ♡

      Elimina
  33. Am I wrong in thinking Capability Brown also did the landscape for Highclere Castle, the site of Downton Abbey? I have read about him, of course, and knew he did Castle Howard, which is a favorite of mine. I was just reading the new issue of "Flower" magazine today and there is an article about another grand house (this in Ireland) and he did the original. What a treasure!

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Jeanie
      what a joy to have you here, Darling Friend !

      Little by little I'm coming back and taking care of my dear blog, and I'm beginning from the comments I have here pending, awaiting for a moderation for so long !
      Yes, Lovely One, you're not mistaking, he created both Highclere Castle's and Castle Howard's parks, and what parks they are, aren't they ?!?

      Always so, so grateful for you enthusiasm and inner joy,
      I'm sending blessings on your way,
      with so much gladness and thankfulness ♥∗✿*✿∗♥

      Elimina
  34. This beautiful post is a GARDEN feature on the September You're the STAR blog hop: http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/2017/08/youre-star-week1-garden-september-2017.html
    Thanks
    Angie

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Angie
      what a deep joy you brought to my heart with this comment of yours, sweetest friend of mine, I'm sincerely honored by this feature ... actually I'm feeling speechless, I've no words which to thank you with !

      May the remainder of your week be blessed
      with Joy and Peace,
      thanking you once again, Dearie ⊰✽*✽⊱

      Elimina

I THANK YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS AND WORDS, SO PRECIOUS TO ME.