Gardens of Italy and the Western Provinces of the Roman Empire

Description

This book examines aspects of horticulture, or the culture of the hortus (the Latin word for garden). Different forms of garden are discussed, such as the rustic hortus which often included an orchard and an area for growing vegetables and herbs, country gardens and those of the town, down to the humble window boxes or balcony gardens of city dwellers living in apartments. Because of the nature of evidence available, its main focus is on decorative gardens, domestic or public, used as an amenity. Its goals are to ascertain if the gardens of Pompeii are representative of those throughout the Empire, or particular to that area; to discover the effect of regional customs, and differences in climate, on the appearance of gardens; to uncover the range of characteristic elements found within Roman gardens; and to determine if it is possible to find a chronological sequence for any of the garden features.