DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49977#0028
6
A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND.
on the Continent. It has been suggested by Mr. Earle that
some of the German names of plants which resemble old
English, are not cognates, but were derived from words used
by the Saxon missionaries, who first brought with them the
knowledge of the virtues of those plants.*
The old word for garden was “ wyrt3erd,” a plant yard,
or “ wyrttun,” a plant enclosure. Also the form “ ortjerd ” or
“ orceard,” which is the same as our word orchard, though the
meaning is now confined to an enclosure planted with fruit
trees. “ Wyrt ” or “ wurt ” was used for any sort of vegetable
or herb, and is the same as the modern word “wort,”
suffixed to so many names of plants, as “ St. John’s Wort,”
or “herb John.” Sometimes a special plant filled most of the
enclosure, thus the kitchen garden was occasionally called the
“ leac tun,” or leek enclosure. We still speak of an appleyard,
the old “ appultun,” or “ appul^erd,” but we say a cherry
orchard, while the old word was equally simply “ cherry3erd.” J
A part of the monastery garden laid down in grass, where
no flowers were grown, was called the gras5erd, and in like
manner the space surrounded by the cloisters was the
“ cloyster3erd.” The modern word garden is another form of
this word 3erd, garth or yard, all are derived from an Aryan
root meaning an enclosure.
At this early period, and for many centuries later, gardens
were planted chiefly for their practical use, and vegetables and
herbs were grown for physic or ordinary diet. Flowering plants
were but rarely admitted solely on account of their beauty.
But it does not necessarily follow that bright and pretty flowers
found no place within the garden walls. Roses, lilies, violets,
peonies, poppies, and such like, all had medicinal uses, and
therefore would not be excluded.
The beauty of flowers appeals to nearly every one, and even in
the most disorderly periods of our early history they may have
exercised some softening influence. A pretty story is told of
William Rufus, which shows that monarch, as it were for a
* The German for Plantago is "Wegbreit,” the A. S. “ Waegbroede.”
The old German for Camomile was “ meghede,” the A. S. “ magede.”
J Gardener’s Accounts, Norwich Priory.
A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND.
on the Continent. It has been suggested by Mr. Earle that
some of the German names of plants which resemble old
English, are not cognates, but were derived from words used
by the Saxon missionaries, who first brought with them the
knowledge of the virtues of those plants.*
The old word for garden was “ wyrt3erd,” a plant yard,
or “ wyrttun,” a plant enclosure. Also the form “ ortjerd ” or
“ orceard,” which is the same as our word orchard, though the
meaning is now confined to an enclosure planted with fruit
trees. “ Wyrt ” or “ wurt ” was used for any sort of vegetable
or herb, and is the same as the modern word “wort,”
suffixed to so many names of plants, as “ St. John’s Wort,”
or “herb John.” Sometimes a special plant filled most of the
enclosure, thus the kitchen garden was occasionally called the
“ leac tun,” or leek enclosure. We still speak of an appleyard,
the old “ appultun,” or “ appul^erd,” but we say a cherry
orchard, while the old word was equally simply “ cherry3erd.” J
A part of the monastery garden laid down in grass, where
no flowers were grown, was called the gras5erd, and in like
manner the space surrounded by the cloisters was the
“ cloyster3erd.” The modern word garden is another form of
this word 3erd, garth or yard, all are derived from an Aryan
root meaning an enclosure.
At this early period, and for many centuries later, gardens
were planted chiefly for their practical use, and vegetables and
herbs were grown for physic or ordinary diet. Flowering plants
were but rarely admitted solely on account of their beauty.
But it does not necessarily follow that bright and pretty flowers
found no place within the garden walls. Roses, lilies, violets,
peonies, poppies, and such like, all had medicinal uses, and
therefore would not be excluded.
The beauty of flowers appeals to nearly every one, and even in
the most disorderly periods of our early history they may have
exercised some softening influence. A pretty story is told of
William Rufus, which shows that monarch, as it were for a
* The German for Plantago is "Wegbreit,” the A. S. “ Waegbroede.”
The old German for Camomile was “ meghede,” the A. S. “ magede.”
J Gardener’s Accounts, Norwich Priory.