Scope and importance of landscaping

1. Scope & Importance of
Landscaping
Dr. A. Jaya Jasmine
Assoc. Professor (Hort)

2. Scope –Landscaping and ornamental
Horticulture
Landscape gardening is the branch of Horticulture, which
deals with planting of ornamental plants is such a way
that it creates a picturesque effect.
Landscape gardening can be defined as the
“decoration of a tract of land with plants and other
garden materials so as to produce a picturesque and
naturalistic effect in a limited space”.

3. The gardens serve the purpose of public recreation and
education.
They serve to refresh the body and the mind.
They are a retreat for the public from the harsh strains
and stresses of hectic mechanical life.
Home gardening is an integral part of family life and it
lends itself for the family to relax and enjoy the nature
and beauty of garden.
It also helps to develop some useful hobby and the ‘skill’
in flower and dry arrangements.
In the recent years, landscape architecture has come to
play a vital role in the developments of home, public
institutions, public places like bus stand, railway
stations, towns and cities.
Landscaping the roadsides on cities and towns is also
given much importance in tropical countries like India as
they provide shade and beauty to that area.

4. Keeping the immense scope of commercial floriculture in
view, much attention is being given to exploit it fully.
The cut-flower trade in big cities like, Mumbai, Calcutta,
Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, etc. has developed
tremendously during the last two decades.
Now farmers earn good income by growing flowers
around big cities. In order to make growing of flowers
into a successful proposition, it should be based on
scientific research.
For this Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
in playing a vital role and has started a coordinated
approach. Nine-research centres at indifferent agro-
climatic zones are actively engaged in solving various
problems of commercially grown flowersand popularizing
the growing of flowers.

5. Other than this, institutes like,
IndianAgricultural Research Institute (IARI),
New Delhi;
Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR),
Bangalore;
National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI),
Lucknow;
Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and
Forestry, Solan of are the places where scientific
research on floriculture is being conducted.

6. History
A garden is a place of beauty and relaxation
garden and adds to the quality of life.
The early history of gardening in South India is
woven with the climate as well as the culture and
the religions that prevailed in the region during
that period.
Forming a tree lined avenue as a means of
beautifying temple architecture was also well-
known in ancient times.
Planting of avenue trees for shade and direction
of traffic has also been practiced for a long time.
Ficus bengalensis , the banyan tree was the
preferred species for this purpose.

7. The history of systematic gardening in India is as
old as civilization of Indus of Harappan which
exhisted between 2500 B.C and 1750 B.C.
People were living in well planned dwellings.
The picture of god available during the period is
represented in the middle of branch of pipal.
Harappan pots were generally decorated with
the design of trees.
In every village the trees especially the Ficus
religiosa (pipal) and F. bengalensis (Banyan) are
planted for worship as well as for shade.

8. Aryans came in India 1600 B.C.
These Aryans were literary people and brought with them the four
Vedas viz. Rig Veda, Artharva Veda, Yujur Veda and Sama Veda
and the Puranas.
They appreciated the beauty of flowering plants, lakes, mountains,
forests etc and named their kids after the flowers like Kamal,
Champa, Madhui, Bela, Chameli, Rukmani etc.,
Detailed account of Lord Ramas life and status of gardening at that
time has been mentioned in Ramayana written by Valmiki and
Tulsidas.
Ayodhya city was having wide streets, large houses, richely
decorated temples and gardens.
These gardens planted with fruit trees, flowers, lakes were full of
lotuses (Nelembo sp) and different kinds of birds.
Ashoka tree is called sorrowless tree and Sita was under this tree in
Lanka. “Mahabharat” was written by saint Vyasa

9. During that period the pleasure gardens were planted
with flowering plants.
The famous tree of this era was Kadamba (Nauclea
cadamba), which is associated with lord Krishna. Greet
poet Kalidas has described the numerous flowering
plants of that era in number of his books.
In Kumar Sambhav trees like Ashoka, Kalpuriksha,
Shirish flower, Butea monosperma, parijatham,
Nyctanthes arbotristis, Mimusops elengi lotus and lilies
have been mentioned
Famous poet Bana Bhatta described the number of
flowering plants in his famous book the Harsh Charita.
The trees like Arjun, Banyan, Sal, Champaka, flame of
the forest, Mimuspos elengi, Kadamba, Ashoka, Indian
coral tree and Siris have been described.

10. A peculiar aspect of the selection of trees for
worship from classical times is the relationship
between colour and religious beliefs.
for example, white, blue and yellow flowers are
sacred to Lord Vishnu whereas red and shades
of orange are favorites of Lord Krishna and Lord
Siva respectively

11. Among plants, the lotus (Nelumbo nucifers )was
considered important in the garden.
The lotus was regarded as a symbol of the ultimate in
feminine beauty.
It also represented the wheel which is the symbol of the
law, or of righteousness (Dharmachakra).
It was sacred to the Buddha and also to Lord Vishnu.
The spread of the lotus throughout the length and
breadth of country was primarily under the influence of
Buddhism.
The Buddhist monks lived in monastries and they also
planted flowering plants around their monastries

12. Gardening during Mogul era:
Among the Mogul emperors Babur had high aesthetic sense and
was fond of gardens.
Thus he made gardens at Panipat and Agra. Aram Bagh at Agra is
still being maintained nicely by Archeological Department.
Mogul gardens are synonymous at formal style of gardening which
is an extended plan of primitive persian gardens.
The square (or) rectangular flower beds and trees like chinar and
cypress are special features of Mogul gardens.
Another important contribution was the introduction of exotic plants
like chinar, cypress, rose, carnation, narcissus, daffodils, lilies, tulip
etc.
Akbar - Fatehpur garden – Sikri (Agra)
Tomb garden –Sikandra (Agra)
Jahangir - Shalimar, Acbhalbal, Varinag – Kashmir
Itmad – ud – Daulah – Agra
Dilkusha garden – Lahore
Shan Jahan - Shalimar – Lahore

13. Taj Mahal , Red Fort – Agra
Red fort – Delhi
Fadai Khan - Pinjore garden – Pinjore
British period
During the British Era, there was a lot of activity in
gardening by Britishers and Indian Kings. Britishers’
memorable gift to Indian gardens was making of
herbaceous border and lawn. Concentrated efforts were
initiated to improve the gardening in three ways
(i) Introduction of exotic plants from England and other
countries
(ii) Establishment of Royal – Agri Horticulture, societies
and botanical gardens,
(iii) Compilation of local flora of different regions

14. Annual like phlox, verbena, larkspur, dahlia,
pansy, aster, antirrhinum etc were also
introduced. A number of botanical gardens were
established in different parts of the country.
Important ones are
Royal – Agri – Horticulture Society Garden –
Calcutta
Loyal Botanical Garden – Darjeeling (W.B)
National Botanical Gardens – Lucknow.
Lal Bagh Botanical Garden – Bangalore
Government Botanical Garden – Ooty
Briyant Park - Kodaikanal.

15. Post Independence period:
There have been radial changes in the field of
ornamental gardening achievements have been made at
all the important fronts viz. Conscious planning for
improving total environment, commercial floriculture, and
teaching and research of ornamental horticulture.
Several gardens in different cities have been laid out to
provide active and passive recreational facilities and to
improve the environment.
Important gardens are Budha Jayanti Park, New Delhi;
Rose garden – Chandigarh and Ludhiana.
These gardens are deviated from traditional Mogul
gardens in their layout.
As a general rule, landscaping of public and private
buildings has become an integral part of planning. State
departments like urban development, Archeological and
Tourism are actively busy improving total environment of
buildings by conscious planning and planting.