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Plants & Gardens

By Michael Russell 

Attempts to classify different types of plants is known to have occurred as far back as since pre-historic periods as shown in the evidence found in the caves of Lascaux in Dordogne, France. These date back to 18,000 B.C. We can only assume that man has always sought the knowledge of plants and had an interest in their cultivation, beyond the simple interest in plants for food.

Hippocrates, the "father of medicine" taught in the fourth century B.C. of the value of some 400 plants and herbs - about half of which are still in used today. Aristotle attempted to catalogue the herbs known at the time and Theophrastus, a pupil of Aristotle, created a system of inquiry into plants which was to influence botany for many centuries.

Classical Greek and Roman records show definite proof of this with early texts from the first century AD. Pedanius Dioscorides in Cilicia wrote De Materia Medica, a textbook for herbal medicine which was in use for 16 centuries. He was a military physician and soldier and wrote 5 volumes covering 600 plants in use in medicine. Galen, court physician to Marcus Aurelius the Roman Emperor, was a Greek physician who practiced medicine in Rome in 2C A.D. For centuries he was respected as an authority on herbs.

At this time their main interest was in the medicinal value of plants which were common in the wild, rather than concern about their deliberate cultivation .

From 529 A.D European medicinal gardens continued to be the province of the monasteries and the fine example of St Gall's garden in Switzerland so impressed Charlemagne that he ordered duplicates to be build across his Holy Roman Empire.

Such medieval gardens focussed upon healing herbs for the monks to use in treatment of the injuries sustained by soldiers in combat but attempts were made to make the gardens ornamental. as well as serviceable and this attitude continued in the designs of the walled gardens of castles and monasteries. It was by the exchange of plants between the monasteries and the dedication of the travelling monks that the extent of herb and plant cultivation was greatly increased. The movement of the troubadours was also instrumental in this.

Following the Crusades, a vast variety of new plants was introduced into Europe with botanists eager to grow new species but somewhat inhibited by superstitions and local legends related to them. Planting, grafting and harvesting was strictly in accordance with astronomical indications of the moon and other conditions.

It was later that royalty, including the early kings of France and Italy took up the cause and became keen promoters of plants of all kinds. Some created landscaping on a magnificent scale in the palace gardens, before ever botanical gardens for the public were considered. According to the specific interest they directed orchards such as those for propagating and cultivating oranges in protected orangeries, as they were called. Others such as Napoleon's Josephine introduced hundreds of different roses, reported to have been the largest collection of different species in Europe at that time.

In Britain many customs of the Druids survived the centuries to which were added the familiar plants known to the Romans. It was John of Gaddesden in 1314 who's first researched work "Rosa Medicicae" covered Greek, Arabic and Jewish medical writings plus contemporary observations and later in 15C more texts and treatises started appearing. This was followed by many illustrated works which began to include plants introduced from the Americas - from the New World, such as corn and potatoes.

John Gerard had his own Physic Garden as Curator of the Physic Garden of the College of Physicians. Thomas Johnson, apothecary, edited Gerard's Herball after his death and recorded thousands of species in England thereby commencing English botany. It was King Henry eighth who protected herbalists with a Charter in 1511. This signified the distinction between the barber surgeons and the apothecaries - a rift which continues to this day between the herbalists and the medical doctors.

William Turner's "A New Herball" was published 1551-1568. Nicholas Culpepper introduced the doctrine of signatures and astrological aspects of herbalism 1652 and translated the physicians secret handbook "London Pharmacopoeia" which incensed the professionals as it placed knowledge of herbalism into the hands of the common man.

By 1850 Herbs had begun to be commercially cultivated in England with the principal crops being peppermint, lavender, chamomile, aconite, belladonna, caraway, elecampane, liquorice, foxglove, lovage, angelica, hemlock, juniper, poppy, roses and marshmallow.

The people of England and Europe as well as settlers of the New World and the various colonies depended to a large extent upon the traditional custom of the cottage garden to provide them with additional foods and home remedies as well as beautiful flowers. The discoveries of strange new plants in the colonies was a constant source of interest and with the help of the indigenous people gave them indications of their usefulness in healing as well as practical purposes. Eager gardeners placed great value, often commercial value, upon new specimens which became available for cultivation. It was largely by this enthusiasm that many new species were preserved and proliferated through the care of botanists in Europe.

Over the last couple of centuries there has been an explosion of interest in the usefulness of herbs and plants of all kinds. Commercial production occurs on a huge scale throughout the world as the demand for medicinal herbs increases, both for herbal medicine and as a source for medicinal drugs but horticulture still remains as one of the most popular pastimes in creating beautiful, ornamental plants which can be used for indoor decoration in homes, hospitals, business houses and institutions of all kinds and providing the aesthetic value which has proven to be essential in our way of life not only in our western culture but in all countries throughout the world.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Gardening

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