Herbs have been used for many centuries, although a plant which was commonly classed as a 'herb' in the past may not be known as a 'herb' today; in previous history, roses, irises and peonies were known as 'herbs'. Carrots and onions were known as pot herbs in sixteenth century England and many aromatic plants were grown for household use.
Definition of a Herb
Today, the term 'herb' is more commonly used to describe plants such as dill, parsley and coriander. The botanic description for 'herb', as defined in the Concise Oxford Dictionary 10th Edition (1999: Oxford University Press, UK) is 'any seed-bearing plant which does not have a woody stem and dies down to the ground after flowering' or 'any plant with leaves, seeds or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine or perfume'.
The Medicinal Herb Garden
The history of medicinal herbs is long; however, the modern history of scented gardens shows that it was medieval 'cloister' gardens of the monasteries which began a practice of growing herbs for medicinal, culinary and aromatic purposes. Gardens were split into the physic (or medicinal herb) garden, and the kitchen herb garden. Well known English physic gardens today, which were amongst the first physic gardens to be established, are the Oxford Physic Garden (1621) and Chelsea Physic Garden (1673).
Physic gardens were designed with a number of raised garden beds, with cross-sections of paths; medicinal herbs included lavender, rosemary, sage, rue and mint. Many physic gardens of the Middle Ages were influenced by astrology until the theory of science became popular in the eighteenth century. Today, medicinal herb garden plants include basil, chamomile, sage, fennel, mint, lemon balm, verbena and lime flowers; physic garden plants are often used to make herbal teas or digestive tisanes.
The Aromatic Herb Garden
In the Middle Ages, herbs often had the dual purpose of being used for medicinal purposes and for fragrant aromas, used to disguise the many unpleasant smells of poor sanitization and personal hygiene. Queen Elizabeth I of England used the herb meadowsweet on the palace floors; in the churches and houses of the wealthy, herbs of lavender, hyssop, chamomile and sage were strewn on floors, releasing a fragrant aroma when walked upon.
Small posies of tussie-mussies were made from aromatic flowers and herbs, initially to combat against disease, but were later given as tokens of love by sweethearts. Aromatic flowers and herbs were often grown specifically for use in the still room, where perfumes, soaps, remedies, flower waters and cosmetics were made from the home-grown plants.
The Culinary Herb Garden
Aromatic culinary herbs are grown to flavor and enhance food and drink; prior to the ability to freeze and refrigerate food in storage, the preservative properties of plants were considered just as important as the flavoring properties. Many Mediterranean herbs, such as rosemary, bay, marjoram and thyme, were valued for their preservative properties. Culinary herbs are also important for their nutritional value to help preserve health.
Traditional kitchen herb gardens were very formal in style but cottage garden culinary herb gardens were often mixed, informal garden beds of many different plants including vegetables, flowers and herbs. Today, culinary herb gardens follow either garden design and kitchen herbs can also be easily grown in pots on window sills or in window boxes.
References:
Lawless, Julia 2001 The Aromatherapy Garden UK: Kyle Cathie Ltd
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