Garden follies were a staple in English gardens and French landscapes of the 18th century. As Kevin Sullivan explains, in his designscape book Beyond Green Gables, the 18th century was a time when Tudor and Elizabethan facades were being replaced with Palladian (classical) or Baroque styles.
One of the most prominent architects of this era was Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. He was repeatedly asked to create a masterpiece of modern design on ancient estates. However, these estates often held crumbling monasteries or deserted building foundations. “Rather than raze the building he would frequently incorporate the whole or parts of a derelict structure in to his garden design,” Kevin writes.
“He fond that a folly, made up of haphazard architectural elements could provide a pseudo-romantic vision of the past, seen from a distance on the far shore. Anyone who was anyone had to have a ruined tower or a fake castle on their property seen from afar.”
Eventually, Brown’s follies became such an important element of 18th century garden design that he started importing foreign pieces of architecture, such as Greek temples and Roman ruins, in order to add to the garden’s atmosphere. Interestingly, many follies were purposely built during times of famine, such as the Irish potato famine, in order to give work to the unemployed.
Today, garden follies are still a popular design element, as seen in the photo above. This garden’s gothic baptismal font, which was found in a Norman church, is surrounded by two Romanesque columns, along with a crumbling limestone satyr. On top of the font sits a Renaissance astrolabe, used as a sundial in the 16th century. This whole design was put together in order to create a destination – a place to walk to and talk about – in the garden.
“The effect today is still romantic, whimsical and evokes an aura of mystery as a destination,” Kevin says. “Many a couple has used the distant garden Folly as a point of departure or an excuse for a purely intellectual discussion on its origins.”
To see more of the design elements that have inspired Kevin, take a look at Beyond Green Gables. Also, all of Shop At Sullivan’s garden products are 50% off this week! You can pick up a cast iron astrolabe like the one featured above for only $8.99. Click here to take a look at the specials.
