ABSTRACT
The designed forms of the earliest pleasure gardens in Persia were adapted from the agricultural landscapes of the fertile river plain with its irrigation canals and regularly spaced fruit trees. The landscape designer plans for all kinds and levels of activity, ranging from occasional visits to private or near-inaccessible landscapes to intensive multiple use of the public realm in urban centres and recreational landscapes. Good planting design means choosing the kind of ecological intervention that is best suited to the site and its use. The epitome of this is the Zen garden, designed for the contemplation of life and its mysteries. Aesthetic pleasure and the experience of well-being are important objectives of planting design. A beautifully planted space offers sensual experiences, relaxing contemplation, a simple sense of connection with living things and a respite from stressful lives.
