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INTRODUCTION. J ix 
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In the twelfth century it is recorded that vineyards flourished 
in the vale of Gloucester, apple mae were plentiful in 
the fertile county of Worcester, market gardens existed at 
Fulham, and that gardens, attached to the homes of the 
baron, yeoman, and hind were fairly common’ throughout 
England. But these gardens were not of the neat and sym- 
metrical order of those of the present day. They were simple: 
patches or enclosures within walls, planted with fruits, vege- 
tables, and herbs. The monks of the Middle Ages were great. 
gardeners. Their superior education, peaceful calling, and. 
general habits fitted them to undertake the culture of pro- 
duce in the-curtilage of their monasteries. Moreover, they 
were in the habit of travelling a great deal, and had the. 
opportunity of securing new or improved forms-of produce to. 
cultivate in their gardens. . a ~ V4 
GENESIS OF ENGLISH GARDENING. 
It was in the reign of Edward III. that the art of gardening. 
began to be seriously taken in Hand. Britons then began to- 
lay out their gardens on a more ornamental plan than before,, 
and to cultivate plants for use and medicine more extensively.” 
The first, book on gardening, entitled “De Yconomia de 
Housbrandia,” by Walter de Henley, appeared in the 16th. 
century, and others soon followed, including the quaint 
Thomas Tusser, who detailed. the work of the garden and! 
farm in pleasing rhyme. In Henry VIII.’s reign the gardens of: 
Nonsuch. and Hampton Court were laid out with regal splen-- 
dour, and in Queen Bess’s time the potato, tobacco, tea, and a 
number of other useful or ornamental plants and. trees were 
introduced from foreign climes to enrich the gardens of the. 
period. Evelyn, then a. great writer and traveller, did a. 
great deal to popularise and extend the art of gardening ; 
and Gerard, the famous surgeon and botanist, published his 
esteemed Herbal, a work still highly valued at the present:: 
day. John Parkinson later on. published his “ Paradisi in- 
sole Paradisus terestris,” a valuable work, which gave great: 
impetus to furthering the art of gardening at the time.. 
In. the eighteenth century marvellous strides were made im 
the progress of gardening. People of, wealth began to lay 
out gardens. on..a- magnificent scale, form parks, and plant: 
trees for: ornament.and use. Botanic gardens were formed . 
at Chelsea, Cambridge, and Kew, and greenhouses glazed’ 
with glass and: artificially heated were first brought into 
