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