The Western garden

This documentary examines the history of gardens in the Western world, exploring their various functions over the centuries and how their constant state of change reflects the societies that revolve around them. Gardens - literally, pieces of land removed from their natural environments - have existed as sites of refuge, worship and meditation, served as accessories to political power, and provided humans with new ways of expressing art. From the cloistered medicinal gardens of medieval Europe to modern open parklands enclosed by cityscapes, gardens document “as much of the spirit of a period as its literature, its paintings or its sculpture”. Some of the stunning gardens explored in more detail include those at Villandry (France), Vaux-le-Vicomte (France), Hadrian’s Villa (Tivoli, Italy), Villa Garzoni (Collodi, Italy) Queen Eleanor’s Garden (Hampshire, UK), Hampton Court Palace (Surrey, UK), and the Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew, UK).