starting a herb garden
Medieval herb gardens were a collection of plants for a variety of uses; often divided into separate raised beds. There were kitchen herb plants for seasoning, dying fabrics, use around the house, and as part of a stew type dish called pottage. Other beds contained medicinal or physic herbs for medicines or religious ceremonies.
Some plants and herbs are still in use today, although most are no longer used for the same exact purposes. Often a plant such as rosemary could be used for multiple purposes such as cleansing, seasoning and warding off bugs and evil spirits so it wasn’t necessarily confined to a single garden space. Medieval gardens also typically had fences or enclosures of some sort, and raised turf benches as a seating area to allow enjoyment of the garden.
The following plants are all herb plants that were found in medieval garden designs in some form or another The medieval era lasted over a hundred years so gardening trends changed over time just like today.
Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) – A personal favourite of mine, lavender is still widely grown today and used for a variety of purposes. They are hardy and easy to grow
Apothecary’s Rose (Rosa gallica var. officinalis) – This lovely rose grows on a shrubby plant that can spread via suckers if grown on own root but was often used in medieval gardens both for medicinal and religious purposes. The rose plant grows 2-5’ and is disease and pest resistant with 4” fragrant flowers. Apothecary’s rose will tolerate poor soil and part shade making it an excellent choice for less than ideal conditions.
Dill (Anethum graveolens) – A widely used and attractive herb plant, dill is also an excellent choice for cut flowers or cottage gardens Dill plants are beautiful with large clusters of yellow flowers that attract a variety of beneficial insects, and fine cut foliage that blends nicely with other plants. Dill is an annual herb that will self sow readily in the garden but should be kept away from fennel to avoid cross pollination.
Thyme (Thymus spp.) – Thyme is another herb used as a culinary herb when cooking but was also used during medieval times to burn as incense for warding off evil spirits or to cleanse from disease. Thyme is a hardy perennial herb and come in a bush form or as a creeping ground cover. Thyme foliage is also often evergreen.
Angelica (Angelica archangelica) – A short-lived herb, Angelica will self-sow in the garden to keep a fresh supply each year. This herb plant is hardy and the leaves are nice in salads or dried for potpourri. Angelica is often used to flavour liquors and gives gin and vermouth their distinctive flavours. Grow Angelica in part shade rich soil that is moist but well drained. The pretty herb plant will produce large airy clusters of small white flowers and grow 4-6’ tall.
Borage (Borage officinalis) – A hardy annual, borage is a weedy looking herb with bright blue flowers. Borage leaves are used in salads, sauces or in teas while the flowers are used to decorate deserts, lemonades, frozen as ice and put in liquors or other drinks. Plants grow to 2’ tall and have bright blue, star shaped flowers. Grow borage in the full sun and well-drained soil with mulch covering to promote strong growth.
Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) – Another common name for bee balm is Oswego tea plant because Oswego Indians used the herb leaves in tea. Monarda is a 2-3’ tall plant with bright red or pink flowers that are highly attractive to hummingbirds and honeybees, hence the name bee balm. Bee balm is also sometimes called wild bergamot because it has a fragrance similar to bergamot orange plants. Grow bee balm in full sun to part shade where it will spread easily if it feels comfortable. Powder mildew can be a problem.
Sage (Salvia officinalis) – Salvia is a huge genus but Salvia officinalis refers to the culinary herb. Sage leaves are usually grey-green, nicely textured and are the part of the plant used for cooking. In the medieval era gardens sage was also grown for religious reasons as they were considered a sacred herb. Sage prefers full sun and well drained moderate soil and will produce purple flowers in the summer that can hold their own in a mixed border.
Rosemary (Romarinus officinalis) – Rosemary is an herb that grows into a 5-6’ tall shrub if grown outdoors will grow 2-4’ in containers. Rosemary plants have aromatic, needle like leaves that are used in wedding bouquets to symbolize remembrance and fidelity. Rosemary foliage is also used widely as a culinary herb and was used in medieval gardens for medicinal purposes as well. In the spring rosemary produces small blue flowers. Grow rosemary plants in full sun, alkaline soil and slightly sandy, well drained soil.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) – Fennel plants have green feathery foliage that is pleasing blending with other plants in the medieval herb garden. Fennel has an Anise like flavour for seasoning, tea and stews. Fennel plants prefer full sun, average, well drained soil and cool weather. Fennel with grow 3-4’ tall stems with wispy yellow flowers. Direct sowing is best with this medieval herb because transplanting can stunt the fennel’s growth. ‘Purpureum’ has chocolate brown foliage and ‘Bronze Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var rubrum) has red-brown foliage.
Nasturtium (Tropaelum majus) – Nasturtiums may growth in bushy forms or trail, but either way these annuals are useful medieval plants. The flowers are edible and are often added to salads. An easy to grow annual plant, nasturtiums have rounded leaves and bright, cheerful flowers that are usually red, orange or yellow. Direct sow in full sun for best results.
Tags: herbgarden, herbplants, Herbs
