Some of the Plants Mentioned in Shakespeare 



Adeline F. Schively 



It may be rather late in this year, so full of Shakespearian 

 celebrations and investigations to present this article to the 

 readers of The Nature-Study Review; but it is hoped that it 

 still may be of use to some. Certain occurrences combined to 

 give the author an interest in the subject. A fascinating catalogue, 

 issued by Knight and Struck, Seedsmen of New York, was 

 received in the early spring. This firm, in anticipation of the 

 possible needs of this tercentenary year, had arranged a rather 

 full list and provided for supplying seeds and also in some cases 

 the roots of the plants. Selection of what might be best used in 

 our School Garden and preparation for talks with the Normal 

 School students and children of the Practice School stimulated 

 investigation. The more one searched,, the more, interested 

 one became. The choice of plants was determined mainly by 

 these thoughts; unusual or unfamiliar ones; fanmiliar ones; 

 those interesting mainly from folk-lore standpoint. 



We must remember that from time immemorial the English 

 have been flower lovers, and their wonderful and beautiful gardens 

 have been again and again described by travelers and writers. 

 It is true also that the climate assists the labors of the gardener, 

 and rich and poor all aspire to possess a garden of some sort. 

 In a book — "Shakespeare's Garden" — J. Harvey Bloom, I found 

 such an excellent description, that I shall quote it here. It will 

 serve for an introduction to the topic to be discussed. 



" The general arrangement of a house of the size of Shakespeare's 

 would be similar to that so carefully described in the Maison 

 Rusbique or Countrie Farme of Charles Stevens and John Leebault, 

 Doctors of Physicke, London 1600. So exactly does this volume 

 describe the manner of forming such a garden as Shakespeare's 

 father may have had on Henley Street, or the poet himself at 

 New Place that we may be forgiven for reproducing it in its 

 entirety. After describing the garden for vegetables he proceeds — 

 'The Garden of Pleasure shall be set about and compassed in 

 with arbours made of jesamin, rose-marie, juniper, cypress trees, 

 savin, cedars, rose-trees, and other dainties first planted and 

 pruned according as the nature of every one doth require, but 

 afterward brought into some forme and order with willow or 



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