Did he actually say there had been Islamic gardens for 3000 years, which would clearly be wrong, OR, there had been paradise gardens for 3000 years, which would not be wrong.
Definitely said "Islamic". Most of the time I only half listen but that statement was so obviously wrong it screamed out at me. A bit like somebody saying they live in a 17th century Victorian house.
Is there documented proof that people 3000 years ago called their gardens Paradise Gardens? Paradise, Islamic, Persian... all three are terms associated with a particular style of garden (not that I personally think Monty’s is particularly redolent of any of those terms, what with that stipa and the verbena bon). Saying Islamic style would have been better, perhaps, but if he is delivering unscripted content to camera I for one can forgive him as we all know what he meant.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Paradise - the word - is an old Persian word used to denote a walled enclosure, usually royal and well before the Christia era. It then entered Greek and Latin and came to English from the French. Beng a middle eastern concept of gardening to create a cooling space in a hot climate, the form was naturally adopted and adapted by the great Islamic civilisations in Iran, Turkey, north Africa and Moorish Spain which only really developed power and wealth in what Christians call the Middle Ages and later.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I watch GW for the plants and gardens so don't care if the history or nomenclature is a bit off, same reason I wouldn't be bothered if Beard misidentified a miscanthus.
@NIckten - I suspect nomenclature's importance will dawn on you when you try to source a plant or product using the wrong name.
or find out something we're told gets to " 5 or 6 feet tall" only gets to about 3 ( knautia macedonica) " 10 - 12 feet" ( fennel ) or " dig a hole 6 inches deep and plant it " ( bearded iris )
Isn't 'Islamic Garden' a description of style along the lines of 'cottage garden'? If I said 'my next door neighbour has a Chinese garden' would you assume I lived in China - or would it just conjure an image of a style of garden?
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@NIckten - I suspect nomenclature's importance will dawn on you when you try to source a plant or product using the wrong name.