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. 
1 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 VAbbe Irminon, ed. by M. B. Guerard, Paris, 1844. 
2 Archceological Institute Journal, vol. v. 
