February 2022

54
Wanstead Village Directory
A POTTED HISTORY
Ruth Martin of the Aldersbrook Horticultural Society has compiled
a potted history of the garden. In the first of a series of articles, she
guides us from ancient civilisations to the medieval period
Gardens have existed for thousands
of years – the gardens of the
ancient civilisations influenced
gardens in the West. Egyptian gardens
were centred around pools where lotus
flowers and papyrus grew, surrounded
by beds of poppies, cornflowers and corn
marigolds shaded by palms, figs, vines and
pomegranates. The paradise gardens of
Persia included formally laid orchard trees,
planes and cypresses.
In ancient Islamic culture, symmetrical
layouts of gardens were used, divided into
quadrants, by rills representing the four rivers
flowing from paradise: water, milk, honey
and wine. Roman gardens were influenced
by the Greeks – and were an integral part of
the house surrounded by columned walks,
including pools and fountains. Mosaics, trellis
and frescos were common features and the
architectural plants used are familiar to us
today – clipped hedges and elaborate topiary
made of laurel, bay and box with flowering
plants of roses, lilies and myrtle.
During the medieval period (800–1500), the
influence of Persian gardens and designs
spread around Europe. England was culturally
and politically part of Europe; Roman designs
also influenced English gardens. Medieval
gardens belonging to the wealthy consisted
of three types: the herber, the orchard and
the pleasure park. Royalty and nobility would
have all three areas, covering some 15 acres,
the more moderately well-off would have
two, covering two to five acres, and the town
bourgeoisie and lesser manors would have the
herber of under an acre.
The herber consisted of a lawn, herbs and
flowers, with trees at the edge of the lawn
to provide some shade. There would be turf
A medieval herber
seats, arbours, trellis works and fountains. The
orchard contained fruit trees and walks and
the pleasure park or little park was bounded
by palisades. At the centre, was a timberframed
garden building, as well as ponds for
fish and waterfowl.
At this time, however, the majority of the
population lived in squalid hovels made of
wood frames with wattle and daub, leaky
thatch, damp walls and wet floors, and if
they owned animals, they would share the
space. The slightly better-off villagers lived in
marginally better houses, with separate barns
for their animals. Gardening as we know it
did not exist; the land around the hovel was
used to grow vegetables to feed any animals
and themselves. They had a diet of cabbages,
kale, leeks, onions and turnips supplemented
by any game they could trap. Fruit was also
grown – apples, pears, plums and cherries.
Some cottagers attempted to cheer up their
garden by collecting plants from the wild and
planting them amongst the vegetables. The
cottage garden was born.
Ruth will be giving a presentation on the
history of the garden at Aldersbrook Bowls
Club on 8 March from 7.30pm (visitors: £5).
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