Strabo's Plantlist

Walafrid Strabo (808-849) was, among many other things, the author of the gardening poem Hortulus, an account of the herbs he grew in his garden and their medical uses. As such it gives us the first plant list for a monastic herb garden, (extracted from):

Agrimony
Catmint
Celery
Mugwort
Betony
Chervil
Clary sage
Costmary
Fennel
Gourd

Horehound

Frankincense
Grape
Indian pepper

Iris
Lily
Lovage
Melon

Poppy

Pomegranate
Mint

Nettles
Pennyroyal
Radish
Rose
Rue
Sage
Southernwood

Tansy

Wormwood

The Fromond List [Herbys Necessary For A Gardyn]

"Our medieval ancestors actively encouraged weeds in their vegetable plots. The Fromond List, compiled by Surrey landowner Thomas Fromond in about 1525, is a list of “herbys necessary for a gardyn”. He recommends many of today’s weeds for sauces, salads, soups and so on." (source).

Here is the full list in original spelling, (source). The obvious thing to note is that the notion of a weed did not exist.

Herbys Necessary For A Gardyn By Letter

R. Rapes (Brassica Napns), Radyche, Rampsons (Allium ursinum), Rapouncez (Campanula Ranunculus), Rokettf (Hespcris matronalis), Rewe.

S. Sauge, Saverey, Spynache, Sede-wale (Valeriana pyrenaica), Scalaceh (? Sinapis arvensis), Smalache (Apium graveolens), Sauce alone (Erysimum Alliaria), Selbestryne, Syves (Allium Schceno-prasum), Soreft, Sowthistelt, Skabiose, Selia, Stycadose (Lavandula Sta'chas), Stanmarch (? Smyrnium Olusatrum).

T. Tyme, Tansey.

V. Vyolettf, Wermode, Wormesede (Erysimum chciran-thoides), Verveyfi.  

Of The Same Herbes For Potage

Borage, Langdebefe, Vyolettf, Malowes, Marcury, Daunde-lyoh Avence, Myntf, Sauge, Percely, Goldes, Mageron, Fenelt, Carawey, Rednettyff, Oculus Christi, Daysys, Chervelf, Lekez, Colewortes, Rapez, Tyme, Cyves, Betes, Alysaundr', Letyse, Betayn, Columbyn, Alia, Astralogia rotunda, Astralogia longa, Basillican, Dylle, Deteyfi, Egrymon, Hertestong, Radiche, White pyprr, Cabagez, Sedewale, Spynache, Coliaundr' Foothistyll, Orage, Cartabus, Lympons, Nepte, Clarey, Pacience.  

Of The Same Herbes For Sauce

Hertes tonge, Sorett, Pelytory, Pelytory of Spayh, Detey, Vyolettf. Pcrcely, Myntf.  

Also Of The Same Herbes For The Copp

Cost, Costmary, Sauge, Isope, Rose mary, Gyttofr', Goldez, Clarey, Mageron, Rue.*  

Also Of The Same Herbes For A Saladc

Buddus of Stanmarche, Vyolette flourez, Percely, Redmyntf, Syves, Cresse of Boleyn, Purselah, Ramsons, Calamyntf, Prime Rose buddus, Dayses, Rapounses, Daundelyon, Rokette, Red netteft, Borage flourez, Croppus of Red Fenett, Selbestry", Chykynwede.  

Also Herbez To Stylle

Endyve, Red Rose, Rose mary, Dragans, Skabiose, Ewfrace, Wermode, Mogwede, Betayii, Wylde Tansey, Sauge, Isope, Ersesmart (Polygonum Hydropiper).

  * Rue is added in fainter ink.

  * " Seynt Mar' Garlek " is added by another hand.  

Also Herbes For Savour And Beaute

Gyllofr' gentyle, Mageron gentyle, Basyle, Palma Christi, Stycadose, Meloncez, Arcachaffe, Scalaceley, Philyppendula, Popyroyatr, Germaundr', Cowsloppus of Jerusalem, Verveyh, Dyll, Seynt Mar' Garlek.*  

Also Rotys For A Gardyn

Persenepez, Turnepez, Radyche, Karettes, Galyngale, Tryngez, Saffron.

Amazonian garden dissected

In Charles C. Mann's '1493' (earlier) we find this glossed picture of an Amazonian garden in N.E. Brazil. It shows the detailed and intricate knowledge behind a good garden. 

The guerrilla ghetto gardener knows nothing of the spring afternoon

 Into the Ghetto Garden

The stamp-sized Chico Mendez memorial garden

 

Here is what I found when I went to the local Rooie Rat (Red Rat) bookstore this week: Thing 001359 (Chico Mendez Mural Garden), a micro garden exhibit part of the excellent and ongoing 'The Grand Domestic Revolution' series initiated by Casco. I am wondering though if I am the only one to see the irony: you begin with Chico Mendez a Brazillian rubber tapper and union leader who gets murdered for his efforts to preserve the Amazon rainforest. After his death the man gets honoured with a New York community garden that was evicted. This garden is remembered as an avant-gardening classic and used as a source for the greening of cities everywhere, in this case it inspires a model of itself with a few unhealthy (not to mention unhappy) looking plants in a mushy bookstore in Utrecht. Is that the diminutive value of borrowed aura? Anyway: cryptoforestry salutes all things and all people that bring the Amazon to Utrecht. Hurrah! 

The forest-garden within

Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff's 'The Forest Within' explains what the rain forest looks like to a people who have been part of it for thousands of years and for whom the forest is not nature but culture. 

It has been suggested that nature is hostile, violent and unpredictable, and that the Indians try to bring order into this confusion by categorising it. This may be so in some cases and some societies, but from what we have learned from the Indians, it is man and his basic impulses: food, sex, power,security, which are chaotic and must be controlled, while nature,far from being disordered offers many practical models for human behaviour and adaptation. Nature has its definitive structures and rules, its periodicities, the Milky Way, plant growth, animal behaviour, crystals and flowers, colours and odours. The chromatic scale of the rainbow, a phosphene perceived in a drug-induced trance, a seasonal fishrun or a bird migration, a meandering river in the forest; they are all models which offer security together with a wealth of intellectual and emotional stimulation. 

The following images are all remarkable photographs of swidden fields that give a good feel for their, to us, chaotic appearance. Amazonian gardens are part of the forest, not separated from it.