John Parkinson

“ I commend and hold to bee the best and surest herbe to abide faire and greene in all the bitter stormes of the sharpest Winter, and all the great heates and droughts of Summer, and doth recompence the want of a good sweet sent with his fresh verdure, euen proportion, and long lasting continuance. ”

“ In August begin some of the Autumne bulbous flowers to appeare, as the white and the purple Colchicum or Medow Saffron, the purple mountaine Crocus or Saffron flower, the little Autumne Leucoium and Autumne Iacinth, the Italian Starrewort, called of some the purple Marigold, the Meruaile of Peru or of the world, the Flower of the Sunne, the great blew Bell-flower, the great double French Marigold. ”

“ For sents and colours are both such qualities as follow the essence of plants, euen as formes are also; and one may as well make any plant to grow of what forme you will, as to make it of what sent or colour you will; and if any man can forme plants at his will and pleasure, he can doe as much as God himselfe that created them. ”

“ This double yellow Anemone hath such broad round leaues as the single kinde hath, but somewhat larger or ranker: the stalkes are beset with larger leaues, more deeply cut in on the edges: the flowers are of a more pale yellow, with some purplish veines on the outside, and a little round pointed; but they are all on the inside of a faire yellow colour, consisting of two rowes of leaues, whereof the innermost is the narrower, with a small greene head in the middle, compassed with yellow threads as in the former: the roote is like the roote of the single ”

“ The Tamariske tree that is common in our country, although in some places it doth not grow great, yet I haue seene it in some other, to be as great as a great apple tree in the body, bearing great arms; from whose smaller branches spring forth young slender red shootes, set with many very fine, small, and short leaues, a little crisped, like vnto the leaues of Sauine, not hard or rough, but soft and greene: the flowers be white mossie threads, which turne into dounie seede, that is carried away with the winde. ”

“ But the light colours be they which are the chiefe for choice, as white, ash-colour, blush or carnation, light orenge, simple or party coloured, single or double, if they beare seede, which must bee carefully gathered, and that not before it bee thorough ripe, which you shall know by the head; for when the seede with the wollinesse beginneth to rise a little of it selfe at the lower end, it must bee then quickly gathered, lest the winde carry it all away. ”

“ If any man shall say, that because there are many flowers double, whereof there are single also of the same kinde, as for example, Violets, Marigolds, Daisyes, Daffodils, Anemones, and many other, that therefore those double flowers were so made by the art of man: viz. by the obseruation of the change of the Moone, the constellations or coniunctions of Planets, or some other Starres or celestiall bodies. Although I doe confesse and acknowledge, that I thinke some constellations, and peraduenture changes of the Moone, &c. ”

“ Some kinds are fittest to roast in the winter time, to warme a cup of wine, ale or beere; or to be eaten alone, for the nature of some fruit is neuer so good, or worth the eating, as when they are roasted. ”

“ Double Daisies are flowers not to be forgotten, although they be common enough in euery Garden, being both white and red, both blush and speckled, or party coloured, besides that which is called Iacke an Apes on horsebacke, they require a moist and shadowie place; for they are scorched away, if they stand in the Sunne in any dry place. Double Marigolds also are the most common in all Gardens. And so are the French Marigolds that haue a strong heady sent, both single and double, whose glorious shew for colour would cause any to beleeue there were some rare goodnesse or vertue in them. ”

“ I answer, that assuredly all such flowers did first grow wilde, and were so found double, as they doe now grow in Gardens, but for how long before they were found they became double, no man can tell; we onely haue them as nature hath produced them, and so they remaine. Againe, if any shall say, that it is likely that these double flowers were forced so to be, by the often planting and transplanting of them, because it is obserued in most of them, that if they stand long in any one place, and not be often remoued, they will grow still lesse double, and in the end turne single. ”

“ Our Gardens are the chiefe places for the double flowers to grow in; for we know not of any other naturall place: but the single kinde hath beene found wilde in Spaine, from whence I receiued seede, gathered by Guillaume Boel, in his time a very curious, and cunning searcher of simples. ”

“ Spinach is sowne in the Spring, of all for the most part that vse it, but yet if it be sowne in Summer it will abide greene all the Winter, and then seedeth quickly: it is a Sallet that hath little or no taste at all therein, like as Lettice and Purslane, and therefore Cookes know how to make many a good dish of meate with it, by putting Sugar and Spice thereto. ”

“ For this Garden by reason of the much and continuall stirring therein, the herbes and rootes drawing out the substance of the fertilitie thereof more aboundantly then in the former, must be continually holpen with soyle, or else few things of goodnesse or worth will come forward therein. The stable soyle of horses is best and most proper for any colde grounds, for being the hottest, it will cause any the seedes for this Garden to prosper well, and be more forward then in any other ground that is not so holpen. ”

“ The Winter bon Chretien is of many sorts, some greater, others lesser, and all good; but the greatest and best is that kinde that groweth at Syon: All the kinds of this Winter fruit must be planted against a wall, or else they will both seldome beare, and bring fewer also to ripenesse, comparable to the wall fruit: the kindes also are according to their lasting; for some will endure good much longer then others.
The Summer Bergomot is an excellent well rellished peare, flattish, & short, not long like others, of a meane bignesse, and of a darke yellowish greene colour on the outside. ”

“ Garden Hyssope is so well knowne to all that haue beene in a Garden, that I shall but actum agere, to bestow any time thereon, being a small bushie plant, not rising aboue two foote high, with many branches, woody below, and tender aboue, whereon are set at certaine distances, sundry small, long and narrow greene leaues: at the toppe of euery stalke stand blewish purple gaping flowers, one aboue another in a long spike or eare: after which followeth the seede, which is small and blackish: the rootes are composed of many threddy strings; the whole plant is of a strong sweet sent. ”

“ Now in regard that there be diuers trees and shrubs mentioned here in this booke that beare euer greene leaues, wherein there is very great beauty, and many take pleasure in them; as the ordinary Bay, the Rose Bay, and the Cherry Bay trees, the Indian Figge, the Cypresse, the Pine tree, the Mirtle and dwarfe Boxe, and many others; I will here shew you how to plant and order them, as is fittest for them. For in that they doe not shed their greene leaues in winter as other trees doe, you may in reason be perswaded that they are of another nature ”

“ The Cornell tree that is planted in Orchards, being the male (for the female is an hedge bush) is of two sorts, the one bearing red, the other whiter berries, which is very rare yet in our country, and not differing else. ”

“ The frailty also of Mans life is learned by the soone fading of them before their flowring, or in their pride, or soone after, being either cropt by the hand of the spectator, or by a sudden blast withered and parched, or by the reuolution of time decaying of it owne nature: as also that the fairest flowers or fruits first ripe, are soonest and first gathered. ”

“ Rampion rootes are a kinde of Sallet with a great many, being boyled tender, and eaten cold with vinegar and pepper. Cresses is an herbe of easie and quick growth, and while it is young eaten eyther alone, or with parsley and other herbes: it is of a strong taste to them that are not accustomed thereunto, but it is much vsed of strangers. Rocket is of the same nature and qualitie, but somewhat stronger in taste: they are both sowen in the Spring, and rise, seede and dye the same yeare. ”

“ The stemme or stocke, the young shoots or branches, the small hairy prickes, and the small winged leaues, are in all parts like vnto the former single kinde; the chiefest difference consisteth in the doublenesse of the flower or Rose, which is so thicke and double, that very often it breaketh out on one side or another, and but a few of them abiding whole and faire in our Countrey, the cause whereof wee doe imagine to bee the much moisture of our Countrey, and the time of flowring being subiect to much raine and showers ”

“ We haue in our Gardens another sort, that beareth flowers with more leaues then the former, making it seeme to be twice double, and that onely in Autumne; for the first flowers are single that come in Summer: This is of that sort that beareth purple flowers: And it is to be obserued, that the seed of this kinde will not all bring double flowers, but only some, if the ground be fit and liking, so that if you haue once had of this double kinde, you shall seldome misse to haue double flowers againe euery yeare of it owne growing or sowing. ”

“ Tarragon is an herbe of as strong a taste as eyther Rocket or Cresses, it abideth and dyeth not euery yeare, nor yet giueth ripe seede (as far as euer could bee found with vs) any yeare, but maketh sufficient increase within the ground, spreading his roots all abroad a great way off. Mustard is a common sawce both with fish and flesh, and the seede thereof (and no part of the plant besides) is well knowne how to be vsed being grownded, as euery one I thinke knoweth. The rootes of horse Radish likewise beeing grownd like Mustard, is vsed both of strangers and our owne nation, as sawce for fish. ”