MONASTIC GARDENING 5 



Picardy, and at St. Gall, near the lake of Constance, there 

 remains more than a mere mention of the existence of a garden. 

 At Corbie the garden was very large ; either divided into four, 

 or else four distinct gardens, and ploughs, which had to be 

 contributed annually by certain tenants, were used to keep it 

 in order ; while other tenants had to send men from April to 

 October to assist the monks in weeding and planting. 1 At 

 St. Gall, the " hortus " is a rectangular enclosure, with a central 

 path leading from the gardener's house and a shed for tools and 

 seeds situated at one end, with nine long and narrow beds of 

 equal size on either side. The " herbularis," or physic garden, 

 is smaller, with a border of plants all round the wall, and four 

 beds on either side of the central walk ; and the plants contained 

 in each of these beds are carefully noted. 2 



In England there is no such exact description of any garden, 

 and it is only by carefully examining the records of the various 

 monasteries that the existence of gardens or orchards in the 

 eleventh and twelfth centuries, and a few of even earlier date, 

 can be proved. 



A garden was a most essential adjunct to a monastery, as 

 vegetables formed so large a proportion of the daily food of 

 the inmates. Therefore, as soon as monasteries were founded, 

 gardens must have been made around them, and these were 

 probably almost the only gardens worthy of the name in the 

 kingdom at that time. Still, the number of plants they con- 

 tained was very limited, and probably many of those grown 

 on the Continent had not found their way into this country. 

 The monks may have received plants from abroad, as some 

 connection with religious houses on the Continent was kept 

 up ; and in bringing back treasures for their monasteries or 

 churches the garden would not be forgotten. But plants 

 were chiefly brought for medicine, and were probably imported 

 in a dry state, as our word " drug " is simply part of the Anglo- 

 Saxon verb " drigan," to dry. 



Soon after monasteries had been established in this country, 

 missionary monks set forth to convert their Teutonic kinsfolk 

 on the Continent. It has been suggested by Mr. Earle that 



1 Polyptyque de I' Abbe Irminon, ed. by M. B. Guerard, Paris, 1844. 



2 Archceological Institute Journal, vol. v. 



