Great Gardens: Sitio Roberto Burle Marx, Brazil

Roberto Burle Marx (August 4, 1909 – June 4, 1994) was a Brazilian landscape architect (as well as a painter, print maker, ecologist, naturalist, artist and musician) whose designs of parks and gardens made him world famous. He is accredited with having introduced modernist landscape architecture to Brazil. He was known as a modern nature artist and a public urban space designer. His work had a great influence on tropical garden design in the 20th century. Water gardens were a popular theme in his work. He was deftly able to transfer traditional artistic expressions such as graphic design, tapestry and folk art into his landscape designs. He also designed fabrics, jewellery and stage sets.

He was one of the first people to call for the conservation of Brazil's rainforests. He championed the use of native rather than European plants in Brazilian gardens. More than 50 plants bear his name.

Burle Marx bought the Santo Antonio da Bica sítio in Barra de Guaratiba outside Rio de Janeiro in 1949 to store his plant collection. He restored a house and chapel and lived there from 1973 until his death in 1994. The 100 acre garden contains 3,500 plant species, including more than 500 philodendrons. In 1985, the property was donated to the Brazilian government in trust for posterity and became a National Monument. It is now called Sítio Roberto Burle Marx.