In 17C England, the relationship between man & nature was evolving, as Francis Bacon (1561-1626) promoted man as "the minister & interpreter of Nature." The 17C Dutch property owner believed that it was his religious duty to order God's creation - Nature untamed. Improving, clipping, trimming, & geometrically ordering Nature was morally righteous. God's improved garden must become a balance of beauty & utility. This view of Nature perfected was promoted in gardening manuals, such as 1669 De Nederlandtsen Hovenier by Jan van der Groen (1635-1671), the gardener of Orange. It was man's responsibility to see that God's gift should be "dressed up. made fine, in good order, elegant & pleasurable." The book functioned as a manual & a visual source of information on "Dutch Classic Garden Architecture." The typical 17C Dutch design pattern has the house standing at the end of an imaginary axis, which divides a rectangular piece of land into two halves. If possible, the rectangle has ideal dimensions, length & width as four to three. Generally, the whole is enclosed by trees, but it may also be surrounded by a canal system. In this perfection of God's undisciplined Nature, the rectangle itself is again divided into square gardens, usually decorated with French foliage & Italian flowers. In this garden may be mazes, deciduous walks & deciduous giants. Walks guide along artfully constructed trellises, & there are also low fruit trees in diagonal rows intermingled with berries & grapes. Box hedges often surround low ornamental vegetation. There are also flower beds with pots on tiles. The geometric practical kitchen garden, a square or rectangle, was divided into equal parts by crossing paths. Roots, salad plants, & aromatic & medicinal herbs filled the beds. Useful herbs were part of another important component of Dutch garden design. In addition to their beauty & recreational uses, gardens also had to be practical & productive, providing fruits, vegetables, & herbs. Van der Groen insisted that these gardens should be profitable, healthful, pleasurable, & salutary. The oak, maple, & ash trees provided shade for the walkways & wood for warmth & building. The garden's decorative water could also serve as a pond for edible fish & irrigation for the growing plants.
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