| Attempts to classify different types of plants is | | | | species in Europe at that time.In Britain many |
| known to have occurred as far back as since | | | | customs of the Druids survived the centuries to |
| pre-historic periods as shown in the evidence | | | | which were added the familiar plants known to |
| found in the caves of Lascaux in Dordogne, | | | | the Romans. It was John of Gaddesden in 1314 |
| France. These date back to 18,000 B.C. We can | | | | who's first researched work "Rosa Medicicae" |
| only assume that man has always sought the | | | | covered Greek, Arabic and Jewish medical writings |
| knowledge of plants and had an interest in their | | | | plus contemporary observations and later in 15C |
| cultivation, beyond the simple interest in plants for | | | | more texts and treatises started appearing. This |
| food.Hippocrates, the "father of medicine" taught | | | | was followed by many illustrated works which |
| in the fourth century B.C. of the value of some | | | | began to include plants introduced from the |
| 400 plants and herbs - about half of which are still | | | | Americas - from the New World, such as corn |
| in used today. Aristotle attempted to catalogue | | | | and potatoes.John Gerard had his own Physic |
| the herbs known at the time and Theophrastus, a | | | | Garden as Curator of the Physic Garden of the |
| pupil of Aristotle, created a system of inquiry into | | | | College of Physicians. Thomas Johnson, |
| plants which was to influence botany for many | | | | apothecary, edited Gerard's Herball after his death |
| centuries.Classical Greek and Roman records show | | | | and recorded thousands of species in England |
| definite proof of this with early texts from the | | | | thereby commencing English botany. It was King |
| first century AD. Pedanius Dioscorides in Cilicia | | | | Henry eighth who protected herbalists with a |
| wrote De Materia Medica, a textbook for herbal | | | | Charter in 1511. This signified the distinction |
| medicine which was in use for 16 centuries. He | | | | between the barber surgeons and the |
| was a military physician and soldier and wrote 5 | | | | apothecaries - a rift which continues to this day |
| volumes covering 600 plants in use in medicine. | | | | between the herbalists and the medical |
| Galen, court physician to Marcus Aurelius the | | | | doctors.William Turner's "A New Herball" was |
| Roman Emperor, was a Greek physician who | | | | published 1551-1568. Nicholas Culpepper introduced |
| practiced medicine in Rome in 2C A.D. For | | | | the doctrine of signatures and astrological aspects |
| centuries he was respected as an authority on | | | | of herbalism 1652 and translated the physicians |
| herbs.At this time their main interest was in the | | | | secret handbook "London Pharmacopoeia" which |
| medicinal value of plants which were common in | | | | incensed the professionals as it placed knowledge |
| the wild, rather than concern about their deliberate | | | | of herbalism into the hands of the common |
| cultivation .From 529 A.D European medicinal | | | | man.By 1850 Herbs had begun to be commercially |
| gardens continued to be the province of the | | | | cultivated in England with the principal crops being |
| monasteries and the fine example of St Gall's | | | | peppermint, lavender, chamomile, aconite, |
| garden in Switzerland so impressed Charlemagne | | | | belladonna, caraway, elecampane, liquorice, |
| that he ordered duplicates to be build across his | | | | foxglove, lovage, angelica, hemlock, juniper, |
| Holy Roman Empire.Such medieval gardens | | | | poppy, roses and marshmallow.The people of |
| focussed upon healing herbs for the monks to | | | | England and Europe as well as settlers of the New |
| use in treatment of the injuries sustained by | | | | World and the various colonies depended to a |
| soldiers in combat but attempts were made to | | | | large extent upon the traditional custom of the |
| make the gardens ornamental. as well as | | | | cottage garden to provide them with additional |
| serviceable and this attitude continued in the | | | | foods and home remedies as well as beautiful |
| designs of the walled gardens of castles and | | | | flowers. The discoveries of strange new plants in |
| monasteries. It was by the exchange of plants | | | | the colonies was a constant source of interest |
| between the monasteries and the dedication of | | | | and with the help of the indigenous people gave |
| the travelling monks that the extent of herb and | | | | them indications of their usefulness in healing as |
| plant cultivation was greatly increased. The | | | | well as practical purposes. Eager gardeners placed |
| movement of the troubadours was also | | | | great value, often commercial value, upon new |
| instrumental in this.Following the Crusades, a vast | | | | specimens which became available for cultivation. |
| variety of new plants was introduced into Europe | | | | It was largely by this enthusiasm that many new |
| with botanists eager to grow new species but | | | | species were preserved and proliferated through |
| somewhat inhibited by superstitions and local | | | | the care of botanists in Europe.Over the last |
| legends related to them. Planting, grafting and | | | | couple of centuries there has been an explosion |
| harvesting was strictly in accordance with | | | | of interest in the usefulness of herbs and plants |
| astronomical indications of the moon and other | | | | of all kinds. Commercial production occurs on a |
| conditions.It was later that royalty, including the | | | | huge scale throughout the world as the demand |
| early kings of France and Italy took up the cause | | | | for medicinal herbs increases, both for herbal |
| and became keen promoters of plants of all kinds. | | | | medicine and as a source for medicinal drugs but |
| Some created landscaping on a magnificent scale | | | | horticulture still remains as one of the most |
| in the palace gardens, before ever botanical | | | | popular pastimes in creating beautiful, ornamental |
| gardens for the public were considered. According | | | | plants which can be used for indoor decoration in |
| to the specific interest they directed orchards | | | | homes, hospitals, business houses and institutions |
| such as those for propagating and cultivating | | | | of all kinds and providing the aesthetic value which |
| oranges in protected orangeries, as they were | | | | has proven to be essential in our way of life not |
| called. Others such as Napoleon's Josephine | | | | only in our western culture but in all countries |
| introduced hundreds of different roses, reported | | | | throughout the world. |
| to have been the largest collection of different | | | | |