<P> Even before Alexander, Cimon of Athens is said to have torn down the walls of his garden to transform it into a public space . Roman Pleasure gardens were adapted from the Greek model, where such a garden also served the purpose of growing fruit . The Roman Peristyle garden, adapted from the Greeks, was used to beautify temple groves and create recreational spaces . Open peristyle courts were designed to connect homes to the outside world . </P> <P> Roman gardens were built to suit a range of activities . Initially, lower class Romans used gardens as a source of food to provide for their families and mainly grew herbs and vegetables . In Ancient Latium, a garden was a part of every farm . According to Cato the Elder, every garden should be close to the house and should have flower beds and ornamental trees . </P> <P> Later, the different influences of Egyptian, Persian, and Greek gardens became a part of Roman horticulture, producing villa and palatial pleasure gardens, along with public parks and gardens meant for enjoyment or to exercise in . No type of garden was specifically reserved for wealthy Romans; all a civilian needed was to have their own land or home . Excavations in Pompeii show that gardens attached to residences were scaled down to meet the space constraints of the home of the average Roman . </P> <P> Horace wrote that during his time, flower gardens became a national indulgence . Augustus constructed the Porticus Liviae, a public garden on the Oppian Hill in Rome . Outside Rome, gardens tended to proliferate at centers of wealth . Modified versions of Roman garden designs were adopted in Roman settlements in Africa, Gaul and Britannia . As townhouses were replaced by tall insula (apartment buildings), these urban gardens were replaced by window boxes or roof gardens . </P>

Roman gardens are distinct by these special features
find me the text answering this question