[Regia-NA] Garden plants

[rmhowe]

J Hill wrote:
 > Hi, everyone.  My daughter in law - a MAJOR force in getting our local
 > group together - would like to get more info on herbs & medicine, as
 > well as kitchen gardens.
 > Is there anyone out there who could help her out?
 > HER address is:  mom6882@yahoo.com <mailto:mom6882@yahoo.com> .
 > I do so appreciate it!  Ælfgifu
 >
 > Jennifer Hill
 > Ælfgifu
 > Wes ðu hal.

I generally buy my wife most of her garden books and she
particularly loves ancient and medieval garden books.
She's too frugal to buy what she wants. I'll buy just
about anything that makes her happy.
Follows are two from Roman Britain she likes a lot.
Both should still be in print.

There is a nice book on Roman Garden plants at the
Vindolanda site.  My wife and some others loved it.
One would tend to assume that if the Romans had it in the
400's that most of the plants would continue through
Saxon times, assuming they made it through the two
years of world cold in 536-7. See the book called
Catastrophe.

Ryley, Claire: Roman Gardens and their Plants; 1998, Sussex 
Archaeological Society; 56pp., 62 colour illustrations,
240mm x 170mm, ISBN 0904973166 (pb). "Here is a new and
exciting look at Roman gardens and their plants. Claire Ryley
has painted the broad picture of what is known of Roman
Horticulture in the Western Empire. Not only does she
expound the principles that were followed by the Romans
in designing their gardens for produce and pleasure, but
she also describes more than 100 of the plants they are
known to have cultivated. Further, the book includes
a list of around 300 plants used in Roman gardens."
The above "comments" aren't mine.
£4.95 with postage about $10. from http://www.vindolanda.com/
or £8.99 from http://www.amazon.co.uk/

Farrar, Linda: Ancient Roman Gardens; Budding Books,
2000, an imprint of Sutton Publishing Limited,
Phoenix Mill, Thrup, Stroud, Glouscestershire GL5 2BU.
1998. xviii & 237 pp., 14 colour plates, Many b&w photographs
and drawings of architectural details, mosaics, existing
remains, garden trellises and fences, etc. Hardback,
ISBN 1840151900.  £25. (we paid $10 new) Where Roman
Gardens and their Plants depicted many of the plants this
book makes a very good companion as it is very heavily
referenced on garden designs the Romans had. Contents
(Roughly) (I) Historical Background - Egypt, Mesopotamia,
Greece, Hellenistic Gardens, Persian Gardens, the
Etruscans. (II) Roman Housing and the Growth of the
Garden - different styles. (III) Architectural Features
in Roman Garden Design - Architectural components of a
R. garden, the peristyle, paths, decorative fencing and
trellis work; Ornamental low walls, or ballustrades,
pergolas, garden seats 	and tables, summer dining couches,
various nymphs, terraced gardens, maritime villas,
gardens of large and palatial villas, hippodrome gardens,
garden pavillions, rest rooms, aviaries, temples and
shrines, caves and grottoes. (IV) Ornamental Pools -
construction, size, depth, etc.  (V) Fountains and
Fountain Figures - Urn and bowl fountains, water stairs,
large fountains, outlets, statues, etc. (VI)  Garden
Sculpture - Mostly Gods, Altars, children, atheletes,
sundials.  (VII) Flora and Fauna in Gardens - Kitchen
plants, plants for medicines and cordials, beekeeping
plants, perfume making plants, garland making plants,
decorative plants, frescos used for identifying plants,
archaeological evidence, fauna.  (VII) Roman Gardeners,
Their Tools and Horticultural Techniques.
Non-residential Gardens - dining establishments, market
gardens, funerary gardens,public parks, public portico
gardens. (VIII) Conclusions - Survivals, features you
can use to simulate a Roman garden, Table One - A Sample
of Ancient Roman Garden Sites.
Table Two - Garden plants mentioned by Pliny in the
Natural History. Notes - 10 pages of references.
Glossary - 3 pages.  Bibliography - 8 pages. Index.
[These are my comments I entered into my bibliography
when I scanned the book for usefulness intermixed with the
chapter headings.]

Magnus