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