“What is natural, they mean,” said Mr. Clarence. “What is native. Form of natus, how it was born.” […] Even topiary, Mr. Clarence now said, was an idea of nature. Because one meaning of nature was like essence—the nature of the thing, its purest form. To express the true nature of the yew or hornbeam was to clip it back to the cube or globe hidden within.

~Natives and Exotics by Jane Alison~

Currently, I’m reading Natives and Exotics by Jane Alison, and these few lines made me ponder about how much and in what way we humans have intervened in nature.

I think I can say that all people around the world love nature; we truly depend on nature. When we are surrounded by nature, it gives us a feeling of calmness, fulfillment, and joy. Moreover, as I mentioned, since we depend on nature, it provides us with food, resources like water, and oxygen to survive.

On the flip side, how do we treat nature in return? Specifically, in the last decades, there has been an increasing exploitation of nature by humans. This raises questions about how this behavior started in us.

Surely, even in ancient times, people took advantage of nature’s resources primarily for survival. Since I believe they respected and feared nature.

If someone were to ask me which century displays a significant human intervention in nature, I would say it’s the 17^th and 18^th centuries. A perfect example of that epoch is the creation of the French Gardens, also called Baroque Gardens. Creator, initiator, and father of that style is André Le Nôtre, who was delegated by King Louis XIV in 1661 to make the sketch and design the Gardens of Versailles. Already when someone hears Versailles, the bells are ringing, evoking the magnificence of the palace and its gardens.

Analyzing the design of these Baroque Gardens, we see the intervention of humans with their architectural knowledge—for example, the exact geometrical formation of the hedges and the further arrangement of the plants. So, everything is symmetrical, which is pleasant to the eye at first hand. Besides the intention of creating an absolutely beautiful garden, the other ambition was to display power and wealth.

Let’s go to England and the English Gardens, which were created in the 18th century and were further developed in the 19^th century. They lay in total contrast to the French Gardens. The significant difference of English Gardens is that during their creation, strict geometrical forms were avoided. Curved lines and irregular forms, closer to nature, are dominating. This is implemented by winding paths, which invite someone for walks, large lawn areas laced up with trees, and artificial ponds. The main intention during the creation of the English Gardens was not to tame nature but to underline and highlight it. Furthermore, to express the middle-class ideals and the longing for nature.

Comparing these two different garden styles now, I somehow feel we’ve become more French over the centuries—the industrialization of society and urbanization of nature has left an irreversible mark on nature. So, in recent years, with all the natural disasters, fires, floods, and landslides, it’s crucial in our hands, human hands, to save and, why not, recreate and revive our nature.

©2025, Vasiliki Papadopoulou