The Art of Gardens: Hanging Gardens of Babylon to Duke Gardens

This course explores the history of garden and landscape design through a series of case studies beginning with ancient gardens of the Mediterranean and Near East and ending with the Sarah P. Duke gardens. Students will explore how landscapes were shaped to meet the aesthetic, agricultural, and social needs of a range of different cultures and time periods. Among the themes explored are the tension between the natural environment and human intervention and the religious, philosophical, and cultural significance of garden design. The class will culminate in a detailed study of Duke gardens, in which students will digitally map and conduct research into a portion of the gardens.