540. The fountains in Greece are generally shaded by plane trees or horscchcstnnts;
and M. Baumann observes, that he never saw trees so well groAvn and so perfect as in
the nciglibom-hood of these fountains. “ It appears,” he adds, “ as if nature liersclf chose
to ])i*otcct and shade the fountains, uliich the Turks erect wherever they can find a
spring, and near each of wliich the Turks inscribe a passage from the Koran, which
invites the toil-worn traveller to come and quench his thirst.” (Baumann in Gard. Mag.
for 1839, p. 99.)
541. O f the horticulture o f Turkey little is known, or how far the use of gardens is
general. “ The capital of the Turkish empire,” T. Thornton observes (Present State o f
Turkey, 1822), “ though the soil in its immediate vicinity is barren and ungrateful,
receives from the neighbouring villages, and from the surrounding coasts of both the seas
which it commands, all the culinary herbs and fruits of exquisite flavour which the most
fiustidious appetite can require. On the shores on both sides of the Bosphoms the
ground forms a chain of schistous hills, covered with vineyards and gardens, an<l
beautiful trees and sbmbs; and the valleys, which arc exceedingly fertile, ai'c in the
highest state of cultivation.”
542. O f the botany and gardening o f the Morea some account is given by Dr. Pouquc-
villc. (Travels in 1798.) “ This country, formerly a part of Gi'cece, is rich in vegetable
productions, but at present proportionably poor in cultivation. There is no gi-eat variety
cultivated in the g ard en s; the gi-ound in general is ill p repared; the Greeks arc unacquainted
with the spade, and only use a mattock for turning it. Spinach and artichokes,
wliich will even gi-ow naturally without cultivation, are among the best culinary vegetables.
Cabbages and cauliflowers gi’ow to a prodigious size; they have also very good carrots.
Broad and kidney beans are produced in such abundance, that they might become an
object of exportation; but the seeds of both are much smaller than those in France. The
lettuces are small; and the celery never will be good while, as at present, they do not
earth it up. The tomatoes are very fine, as is the iruit yielded by the egg plant. The
melons, Avater-melons, and gom-ds, arc not to be exceeded in any part of the world. Mint,
balm, fennel, parsley, and other herbs, abound in the gardens. The orchards arc Avell
furnished with almonds, oranges, lemons, citrons, peaches, pears, apricots, quinces,
chciTics, pomcgi'anatcs, medlars; they have also the arbutus, the scndce-ti-cc, and tlie
carob-trec: all these might he improved, if more pains were taken in cultivating them.”
(p. 204.) TIic account which this author, and also Dr. Holland (Albania and Greece,
&c., 1812 and 1815), gives of the plants, the timber, and tho fruit-trees, natives of tho
Morea, is highly interesting; he regrets that he could not occupy himself more ivitli the
subject, adding, that a botanist miglit compose a ivork worthy of the age in which wo
live, by inidcrtakiiig a complete Flora Peloponnesica.
O fth e }
ClIAP. IV.
, Progress, and present State o f Gardening in the British Isles.
\ ;
543. That gardening was introduced into Britain by the Homans, there can be but
little doubt. According to Sti-abo, writing early in tlic first century, “ the people of
Britain are generally ignorant of the art of cultivating gardens, as well as of other parts
of agriculture” (lib. iii. p. 200.); though it would appear from the same author, that
some of them in the southern parts had gardens round their houses. Tacitus, towards the
end of the same ccutury ( a . d . 79), informs us, that “ the soil and climate ivcre very
fit for all kinds of fruit-trees, except the vine and the olive ; and for all plants and edible
vegetables, except a few, which are peculiar to hotter countries.” (V ita Agric., cap.
xiv.) The Romans aftenvards found different parts of tlie country not unfit for the vine;
and wine, it is conjectured by some, was made in England towards the end of the third
centuiy, under the crapcror Frobus. Vineyards arc mentioned by Bede, in the beginning
of the eighth century. They are also noticed in the descriptive accounts of
Doomsday; and William of Malmsbury commends the county of Gloucester, in the
twelfth ccntm-y, as excelling all tlie counties of the kingdom in the number and goodness
of its vineyards. _ (See Barrington and Pegge, in Archccologia.) The remains of Roman
villas discovered in different parts of the country, may be considered as existing evidence
that gardening was established, both as an art of taste and of vegetable culture, by the
Roman generals and other members of the government. Pliny expressly states, that
chen-ics were introduced into Britain about the middle of the first ccntuiy : they had
been brouglit to Italy by Lucullus only a ceiitui-y before.
544. Modern British gardening seems to have received its first stimulus during the reign
of Henry V III. ; a second powerful impulse was given to it in the time of Charles II., by
the introduction of the splendid style of Le Nôtre ; it changed again, with the introduction
of the modern style during the reign of George I I . ; next, in the early part of the rei^n
of George III. with the plants of North America; and finally through the establishment
of the London Horticultural Society in the conimenccmcnt of the present century.
S e c t . I. British Gardening, as an A r t o f Design and Taste.
645. O f British qardming, as an art o f taste, notliing is known for tire first tlioiisanil
years of our ora. With the eleventh century commence some notices as to England ;
with tho fifteenth, a few indications as to Scotland ; and with the sevoiitcciith century,
some hints as to tire state of our a it in Ireland.
S o t s e c t . 1. Gardening in England, as an A r t o f Design and Taste.
546. Botnan landscape-gardening was lost in England when that people ah.andoncd
Britain to the Saxons, in the beginning of the fifth century; but, as it had revived iii
France under Charlemagne, it would probably he re-introduccd into England with tlie
Norman Conqueror, in the end of tho eleventh century. „ „ i ,i
647 Henry I. (1100 to 1135), the third kmg after William the Conqueror, had,
according to Henry of Huntingdon (m ttr r y , lib. 7.), a park (tafatoiw ferarum) at
Woodstock: and it may not he too much to conjecture, that tins park was tire same
which had surrounded the magnificent Roman villa, whose extensive rams occnpymg
nearly six acres, have been recently dug up on tire Duke of Marlborough s estates m
that neighbourhood. Blenheim, the first residence in Britain, or perhaps in Europe, in
respect to general grandeur, may in this view he considered as the most interesting in
point of its relation to antiquity, Ilcntzner mentions this park as hcing ciiclosod by a
w a ll: and says, that, “ according to John Ros.se, it was the first park m Eng and. ^
648. In the time o f Henry I t . (1154 to 1189), Fitzstephen, it is observed hy Dames
Barrington, states, that the citizens of London had gardens to their vfilas,^ laigc, beautiful
ahd planted with trees.” In De Cerccau’s Architecture, published m the time of
Ileii’ry IIL, there is scarcely a ground-plot not laid out as a parterre or a labyrinth.
549. In the reiqn o f the first Edward (1272 to 1307), the cultivation of the garden
was extended oven to the more curious and delicate productions; hut it was neglected
afterwards during the contention of the houses of York and Lancaster (uliicli began
in 1448 and lasted till 1486), when horticidtnrc as well as the other aits of peace and
polished life, gave way to the liavoc and devastation of civil w a r ; nor did they recover
In any co n siteab le d V c till tho time of Hizahcth (1M8 to 1603 Tins we learn
from the description of England prefixed to Ilohnshcds Ctaonic* puhhshed m l.i87.
550 During the reign o f Edward I I I . (1327 to 1377), Sir William do Middilton
possessed the manor of Mcndham in Suflblk ; and in the thirty-second year of tins king s
reign 01359) on a survey thereof, it is said, the house was ftu-mshed with a pigcon-
housc, throe gardens, and two court-yards. The luxni-y of three gardens, at this cariy
period, must at first appear veiy remarcable, when it is known at how low an « *
cidtnr! was at the hcginning of even tire sixteenth ccntnry. In 1512, tire opulent Ea il
of Northumberland, whose household consisted of 160 persons, had but one gaidciici,
who attended “ honrcly in the garden for sotting of crbis and clipping of knottis and
swcping tire said garden clcnc.” Nay, it should seem as if sometimes there was not
oven one : for among tire workmen of the household, as a painter, a jomcr, and a in.lnar,
is mentioned “ the gardener of the place tarere my Lord lyeth, , / itare le cone.
(Northumberland Household Book, p. 42., .and CnUnm s Hawksted, P- 103.)
551. During Henry V.’s reign (1413 to 1422), m the begmnmg of the fifteenth century
King James I. of Scotland was a prisoner in Windsor Castle for several years. In
the poem lYi'itten by that momu-ch, lie gives the following account of a royal gai'den
th e re : —
“ Now was there maide fast by the touris wall
A garden faire, and in th e corneris set
Ane horbere grene, with wandis long and small
lla ilit about, and so with treeis set
Was all the place, and hawthorn hedges kuet,
T h a t lyfe was non, walkyng there for bye
T h a t myght within scarce any wight espye
The Quair, hij King
“ So thick th e hcwis and th e leves grene
Besclmdit all th e alleyes that th ere were,
And myddis every herbere might be sene
The scharp grene swete jencperc.
Growing so fair with branches here and there,
T h a t as it serayt to a lyfe without.
The hcwis spred the herbere all about.
James I . o f Scotland, published by Lord Woodhouselee.
552. Towards the end o f the fifteenth century Lcland, in his Itinerary smteMhat ^
“ WrcsohiU Castelle, in Yorkshire, the gai'deins within tho mote, and tire oidiaules
witliout, were exeeeding fair. And yn tire orchai'des were
writlren about with degrees like cokil shelles, to com to tire top without payn. (Itmera y,
&e., p. 60.) Such a mount still exists at tire Castle Inn at Marihorough not
hy tap s, o i degrees, hut by a winding path. I t is
longer opera lopiarii. Lelaiid also mentions tire gimleiis at Moih, in l)cib).shiic, and
some olhcrs of less note in the nortlicru coimticp.
ti l , '.