Picturesque garden theory and the Truby King garden

Abstract

The Mount Melrose garden of Sir Truby King is taken as a point of departure from which to study garden and architectural theory within a New Zealand context. As cultural artifacts, gardens are constructions that reflect the attitudes of people and societies towards landscape and space. Through investigating the history and social context through which the Mount Melrose garden was constructed, this paper discusses the reasons why the garden was designed in the way it was. Through assessing and comparing the themes discovered with other garden traditions and philosophies, a frame, (or structure) underlying the garden is discovered. The first section of this report looks at the life of King himself and the influences that led to the creation of the Mount Melrose Garden. The second section moves into a critical analysis of picturesque theory and its influences and relationships with the Mount Melrose garden. Another important influence on the construction of the garden was King's visit to Japan, this aspect is considered in the third section of the paper. Section four concludes the paper bringing all the thoughts together with comments on issues raised.