A Connection to History Can Enhance Your Landscape

Adding different elements and flavors taken from the design traditions of the past can lend a sense of drama and connection to history to your property, and help create a special environment with a sense of wonder and marvel for kids to grow up in. What influences to follow depend on your personality, heritage, and taste.

Spain, where we are from, has always been a crossroads and has had many influences over the millenia: Iberian, Celtic, Carthaginian, Roman, Moorish, and Visigothic to name a few. Galicia in particular has a strong Celtic and Celtiberian identity which is reflected in the local architecture and landscapes (the region is named after the Celtic tribes that were living there when the Romans arrived - the Calaeci/Galaeci).

The remains of the Castros (hillforts) and Pallozas (round houses) built by the Celtiberians in Northwest Spain date back to the late Bronze age/early Iron Age, and other structures found there such as the Antas (dolmens) have their roots in the Neolithic period. These structures share common traits with those of many other ancient cultures across the globe (for example, there is a dolmen in North Salem which has been there for as long as anyone can remember that is of the same basic design as those found in Northwest Spain and many other places – how it might have gotten there we'll touch on in a different post).

Structures in the ancient world had many uses...the basic elements of a village had to be functional and liveable as well as being situated and built in ways which made sense strategically in terms of defending against invaders, and in the case of certain monumental megaliths, which were sometimes incorporated into the main areas of a village, and sometimes laid out at other locations which had some kind of special symbolic meaning to a people, being connected to and aligned with the movement of the stars, which in turn reflect the movement of the seasons (seasons of course being incredibly important to cultures which depended to any extent on the land for their survival), was a key element in their layout. As a result, a tremendous amount of care and passion went into the making of these ancient structures...the resulting designs are not only functional, but have a mysterious beauty and elegance that can strike a deep instinctive chord in the person experiencing them. Gathering inspiration from these works can lend freshness and power to your landscape designs.

Above are some landscape elements which use Celtic and Neolithic influences in their design. To create your own landscape designs, go with what moves you, reasearch, use your imagination and instinct, and come up with something that suits your world view and personality. Enjoy!

Posted by: Jenaro Reino LLC, Bedford, New York

(914) 497-4097

Landscape Design Westchester, Stonework Westchester, Masonry Westchester