Ancient Egypt Garden Design

Tomb paintings show offerings of foodstuffs and garden produce including vegetables and fruit on top of which bouquets of flowers were placed.

Ancient egypt garden design. Among the oldest are the gardens at the temples mentuhotep 2156 2005 b c and the park of queen hatshepsut 1504 1482 b c. The nile has always overflowed with predictable regularity and gentleness gradually depositing a broad layer of dark fertile soil over the land which is easy to work and full of nutrients. Temples palaces and private residences had their own gardens and models of gardens were sometimes placed in tombs so their owners could enjoy them in their afterlife.

Gradually as the country became richer they evolved into pleasure gardens with flowers ponds and valleys of fruit and shade trees. Egypt s culture developed beside the river nile where the two factors of water and plentiful sunshine allowed a particular style of garden design. In ancient egypt flowers were cultivated in order to make bouquets not just for gardens owners but also to honour the gods.

Rectangular fish and duck ponds lined with fruit bearing trees were commonplace in the ancient gardens of wealthy egyptians. From a civilization born around the fertile offerings of a river and its delta water features are a staple of egyptian garden design. The gardens of ancient egypt probably began as simple fruit orchards and vegetable gardens irrigated with water from the nile.