Herbs for a Medieval Physics Garden: German Iris (Iris germanica)
Karen Also known as bearded iris and common flag, this herbaceous perennial is native to the eastern Mediterranean and may be a natural hybrid between Iris pallida and Iris variegata. It…
Herbs for a Medieval Physic Garden: Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)
Cumin is a herbaceous annual native to the eastern Mediterranean east to India and has been known from ancient Egyptian times. Although there have been many claims about the medicinal…
Herbs for a Medieval Physics Garden: Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita aka Chrysanthemum balsamita aka Balsamita vulgariata)
Costmary is a herbaceous perennial native to the Mediterranean and also known as alecost, balsam herb, bible leaf, and mint geranium. It is one of 16 herbs recommented in the…
Gardens in Art: Lovers in the Garden
This manuscript illumination by Pietro Crescenzi show two lovers siting on a turf bench inside an enclosed garden. The garden has high walls that provides both protection and privacy. The…
Gardens in Art: Monastic Garden-Il Fior de Virtu
This woodcut of a monastic garden is the title page from a Florentine verison of Il Fior de Virtu (Flower of Virtue) dating from 1491 and drawn up by friar…
Gardens in Art: Medieval Hermit Garden-The Thebaid of Gherardo Starnina
This Thebaid attributed to Gherardo Starnina (1354-1413) is one of many such painting that told the stories of some early Christian monks and hermits who went in the areas of…
Gardens in Art: Medieval Garden in Songe du Vergier
A miniature from a 15th century French illuminated manuscript shows six people in a garden. The manuscript, Songe du Vergier, is a treatise on the rules of succession to the…
Gardens in Art: Medieval Monastic Garden-St. Gall
The plan of St. Gall dates from 820-830 AD and showed an ideal Benedictine monastic compound including buildings and gardens for a total of 110 monks, 115 visitors, and 150…
Gardens in Art: Medieval Landscape from De proprietatibus rerum
This watercolored illustration from the 13th century work De proprietatibus rerum (On the Properties of Things) shows some of the plants that grew during the Middle Ages in Europe. De…