• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.62-69
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• 2013

The origin of natural planting, which is getting the spotlight in modern time facing natural and environmental problems, can be found from wild gardens. They were started by William Robinson and concretely embodied by Gertrude Jekyll. It is worth shedding new light on wild gardens, as they served as a pathbreaker for ecological design and an important foundation for the specialization of naturalism, which are part of the most important topics in modern gardens. This study aimed to infer the conceptual model of wild gardens and identify their historic significance by comparatively analyzing Robinson's Gravetye Manor and Jekyll's Munstead Wood. The results are: Firstly, they inherited inspirations for spatial organization from basic cottage gardens and introduced informal forms. Secondly, in terms of the use of materials, they had observed various climates in their journeys so that they could use both native and naturalized plants based on their understanding of the plants' hardiness and exotic species. They also displayed interests in plants in the woodlands and forests. Thirdly, in terms of design techniques, they investigated the colors and textures of individual plants and their relationships to produce a variety of views that resembled nature in microcosm. Fourthly, in terms of maintenance, their basic orientation was the minimum maintenance to allow plants to live according to their nature.