The history and development of groves in English formal gardens

This chapter explores how when Antoine Dézallier d’Argenville published his La Theorie et la Pratique du Jardinage (1709) it became the main source of reference on the topic; it was translated into English and German and there were pirated editions in the Netherlands. This book clearly categorized types of layout and planting, providing a vocabulary for contemporary garden design, including parterres and groves, recognizing and describing six different types of groves. This treatise clearly had an influence on later gardens, but it has also since been recognized as summarizing earlier trends. This chapter investigates the effect of this treatise in England. By identifying types and trends in the design of groves before the date of publication and afterwards it investigates innovation in the design of these features.