DEPARTMENT OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE - NEW DELHI

HERBAL AND MEDICINAL PLANTS HISTORY TO CONTEMPORARY

Submitted by: Submitted to:

Amith Krishnan (LA -700) Ms. Poonam Saini

Dr.Arti Grover
Anjali A Nair (LA/701)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would sincerely like to thank all the combined thoughts and efforts of the people who
helped us put thisresearch together.

First and foremost, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to the faculty of planting
design, Dr.Aarti Grover and Ms. Poonam Saini, who have patiently spent their time in
organizing, structuring and reviewingthe paper.

Next, we would like to thank our folks for their constant help and efforts.

We would also like to extend our thanks to the department libraryfor their ready availability
of material and research paper, without which this paper would not be possible.

We also thank all our friends who have contributed to the preparation of this paper by way of
moral support and constructive criticism.

The study has indeed helped us to explore more knowledgeable avenues related to the topic
and we are positive it will help us in the future.

Regards

Amith Krishnan

SPA/NS/LA/700

Anjali A Nair

SPA/NS/LA/701

Department of Landscape Architecture

School of Planning and Architecture

New Delhi
CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the researchfor the topic ‘Herbal and Medicinal plants history to
contemporary, is submitted byMs. Amith Krishnan andMs. Anjali A Nair as a part of the
assignment for the subject Planting Design in landscape architecture at Schoolof Planning
and Architecture, New Delhi, is a record of work carried out by them under professional
guidance.

Amith Krishnan Dr.Aarti Grover

SPA/NS/LA/700 Department Of Landscape Architecture
Anjali Nair School of Planning and Architecture
SPA/NS/LA/701 New Delhi
Department of Landscape Architecture
School of Planning and Architecture
New Delhi
CONTENT

List of figures………………………………………………………………….......………1
List of tables……………………………………...……………………….……...……… 2
List of abbreviations…………….…………………………….……...………………..…. 3

Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………..

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..

History……………………………………………………………………………………

Medieval Era………………………………………………………………………………

Einführung

Case study- St Gall Plan

Common herbs used

Renaissance (14 th -17 th century)……………………………………………………......

Einführung

Case study- Chelsea physic garden

Common herbs used

Victorian Era (18th - 19th century)…………………………………………………………

Einführung

Case study- Sissinghurst castle

Common herbs used

Industrial era …………………………………………………………………………..

Decline………………………………………………………………………………….

Modern Era …………………………………………………………………………….

Introduction …………………………………………………………………………….

Revival ……………………………………………………………………………....

Present scenario …………………………………………………………………………

Types…………………………………………………………………………………....

-Thematic Herbal Gardens

-NakshatraVatika/Herbal Garden

-Raashi / Zodiac sign garden

-ArogyaVatika / Charak garden

-Aquatic medicinal plants garden

-Nutritional medicinal plants garden

-Herbal tea garden

-Children’s herbal garden and herbal Park

for differently abled/visually impaired persons
- Culinary Garden

-Medicinal garden

Container gardening

Indoor Garden

Design strategies --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maintenance of herbal garden------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Preservation Measures -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABSTRACT

This study looks into the concept of herbal landscape and how it relates to one's own unique
landscape perception. Several natural and cultural borders can be used to split the herbal
landscape into smaller sections. Through the centuries herbs gained a wider audience. Medieval
gardens included a range of herbs for the self-sufficient: medicinal, culinary, and decorative.
Universities of that time had physic gardens for teaching botany and medicine. One of the most
popular herbs then, as now, was sage. The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries led to the
development of the formal herb garden, with France featuring some of the finest. Formal design
involved an overall pattern of shapes using hardscape or plant material. Clipped herb hedges,
geometric foundations, and subdivided paths lent interest no matter what season it was. Formal
herb gardens can be expensive to build and costly to maintain.

During that same time period, basil was introduced to Europe from Asia and Africa as a
medicinal and even sacred herb. It aided digestion and helped cure nausea and cramps. But it
wasn’t until the nineteenth century that basil was used in the kitchen. Basil oil is used in dental
preparations and insect repellants. Today it is one of the most popular herbs planted in kitchen
gardens. A herb garden can be any size or shape and can contain a wide range of kinds of spices
or only a couple. Such gardens might take up a whole yard or may essentially be planted in a
little window box compartment. They can be kept inside on a radiant windowsill or outside in the
open breeze. An herb garden design can also be incorporated into a vegetable garden, with
landscape shrubbery, or mixed in with your flower. There are a wide range of sorts of herb
gardens and numerous ways for utilizing medicinal plants, each with their own personality and
appeal, Kitchen herb garden, fragrant herb, Herbal tea garden, Medicinal garden, ornamental
herb garden are different types of herb garden and there are many ways for using herb gardens,
each with their own identity and charisma Designing such herb gardens can be enjoyable,
straightforward, and low-cost. We don't need a lot of time or talent to have a productive and
rewarding spice garden that will brighten both your yard and your culinary masterpieces, but it's
vital to understand the key upkeep methods, including as pruning, mulching, and trimming, to
make them self-sufficient.

The herbal garden will provide opportunities to explore a vast number of wild collections,
exhibit them, and promote structured and scientific medicinal plant study. The herbal garden will
aid in the promotion of eco-tourism and medicinal plant awareness. The herbal thematic gardens
have the potential for boosting and helping the renewed interest in bioprospecting - as the search
for new drugs from medicinal plants and the use of traditional medical knowledge as a source of
leads and serve national and international health priorities. The thematic herbal gardens play an
important social role too. A shared herbal garden can foster social bonds by bringing people of
diverse ages, social backgrounds, and cultural backgrounds together. It would be a social
gathering area where people could meet, exchange ideas, and share their knowledge. It is rare
these days to establish frequent interpersonal encounters, and there is no genuine exchange
between city people of varied cultural backgrounds, ages, and social classes. More than anyplace
else, cultural integration of individuals of various ethnicities is a hot topic in these cities.

Herbal garden concept introduces a green innovative space as an active pedagogy tool that
enables the combining of skills and information, the sharing of reflection, the learning process,
and communal creativity in the interest of social intergenerational learning. An herbal garden
reflects the long-standing tradition of conserving and using plants products for health. Herbal
garden is a living gene bank and ex-situ conservation method for medicinal plants. Scientifically
created value added herbal gardens can aid in the creation and execution of national biological
diversity conservation strategies, plans, and programs, well as for their long-term use. They
should instill a sense of familiarity with the surrounding biodiversity based on the theme's
underlying notion, allowing for a quick connection with the garden and strong recall value. By
offering diverse and relevant knowledge on plant genetic resources, including uncommon,
endangered, and vulnerable medicinal plant species, the themed herbal garden would be
enhanced and improved to give expert guidance, data, and practical support. Thematic herbal
gardens will assist to popularize the use of generally accessible and commonly used herbal
plants, as well as to preserve the accompanying traditional knowledge for future generations, in
an engaging and practical manner.
INTRODUCTION

An herb garden is a collection of valuable plants that can be used as a seasoning, fragrance,
colour, fibre, or medication.

However, if we see species that have never had any practical utility growing alongside the useful
plants in today's beautiful herb gardens—some plants are simply too appealing to be rejected on
solely technical grounds.
Furthermore, the division of plants into "useful" and "ornamental" is a very modern practice.
Almost all plants in medieval Europe were considered to have medicinal properties.

MEDIEVAL ERA

Garden layouts that date back to medieval and Renaissance Europe continue to strongly
influence modern herb gardeners. Though we know very little about the dooryard gardens of
simpler households—the ancestors of informal cottage herb gardens, in which useful plants
were grown close to hand in unstructured plantings

The earliest visual representation of a formal garden to survive the Middle Ages, found on the St.
Gall plan, dates to the ninth century. This master plan for an ideal Benedictine monastery, which
was never built as planned, includes a large, rectangular kitchen garden with 18 beds of
vegetables and potherbs and a smaller square garden with 16 beds of medicinal herbs. This small
healing garden is located next to the doctor's house and near the infirmary. Both gardens are
walled and are laid out in two parallel rows of rectangular raised beds, each bed devoted to a
single species.

Unstructured planting

Utilitarian Landscape
This basic, utilitarian design is typical not only of monastic but of other medieval gardens as
well. Enclosed gardens of rural manors and townhouses are depicted in a number of 15th-century
illuminations in Piero de Crescenzi's popular treatise on horticulture and agriculture, Liber
Ruralia Commodorum (On the Management of Country Estates). They too are made up of a
number of small square or rectangular beds arranged in a simple grid pattern. The paths between
the beds allow easy access to the plots.

CHARACTERISTICS

- SIMPLE GRID PATTERN

- PATHS IN B/W TO ACCESS

TO THE PLANTS

This type of plan is still used today in our own vegetable gardens and is ideal for herb gardens,
making it easy to cultivate and harvest the herbs and rotate short-lived crops of salad herbs and
annuals. It is both functional in form and visually pleasing in its simplicity and neatness.

Not all medieval gardens were purely utilitarian. Unlike the gardens of the St. Gall plan, the
small, private pleasure garden or "herber" was a place of beauty and refreshment rather than a
home for useful plants.

In the 13th century, Albertus Magnus gave directions for laying out an herber, recommending
that the lawn at the center of the garden be surrounded by borders of sweet-smelling herbs such
 as rue, basil, and sage. These early pleasure gardens emphasized elements we still associate with
our own ornamental herb gardens: enclosure, intimacy, and fragrance.

CASE STUDY 1 –

ST GALL PLAN
SWEET SMELLING HERBS IN THE CORNER

ENCLOSURE

INTIMACY

FRAGRANCE

HERBAL

GARDEN

NEAR

PHYSICIAN

SIMPLICITY

NEATNESS

St Gall Plan - Small, private pleasure garden or "herber" was a place of beauty and
refreshment rather than a home for useful plants.

ThePlan
St Gall lawn at the center of the garden be surrounded by borders of sweet-smelling herbs
such as rue, basil, and sage
The sequence in which the parchment was joined is the following:

The first parchment consisted of the drawing of the abbey church and cloister

The second and third parchments were added to the bottom and right side of the original vellum
and here the abbey church was enlarged; buildings were added around the cloister; and the
abbot's house, outer school, guest house and pilgrim’s house were drawn.

A fourth parchment was then added to the top where the

infirmary, novitiate, cemetery, orchard ,garden were drawn; and finally a fifth parchment was
added to the bottom to accommodate the designs for the livestock quarters.

As mentioned above the Plan represents a Benedictine monastery and it is possible to see

the Benedictine Rule being applied in the architectural design.
One of the main aspects of the Rule was the ascetic life of the monks who had to dedicate
themselves to prayer, meditation and study, and not worry about worldly matters. For this
purpose, the Benedictine Rule required a monastery which was self-sufficient, and which
provided for the monks all the necessary facilities, food, and water.
 The Plan thus depicts 40 ground plans which include not only the properly monastic buildings
(basilica, cloister, abbot's house and cemetery) but also secular buildings for the use
of lay workers and visitors.[19]Lynda Coon has identified five distinct "spatial-units":[2]
 Sacred: basilica, round towers, hostel for visiting monks, abbot's house, cemetery and
cloister complex.
 Lay: elite guest houses, servant quarters, hospice for pilgrims and the poor.
 Educational: novitiate and outer school for the elite.
 Medicinal: infirmary, physician's house, bloodletting house, herb garden.
 Agricultural and artisanal: workshops, animal pens, houses for agrarian workers and gardens.

She has also identified a status differentiation in the structures which follow the cardinal points
 Accordingly, she argues that the northwest is reserved for the secular elite while the southwest is
for the secular lower classes. Regarding the sacred spaces, the northeast and southeast is reserved
for the monastic elite, and the far east and far south for what she calls "the liminal", that is to say
in between lay and monastic.
Alfons Zettler has recently identified another criterion that the authors of the Plan may have
followed for the layout of the structures, which does not follow the cardinal points but is
determined by a clockwise direction starting and ending at the abbot's house.

He argues that the basis of the organisation would have been a division of public/private and
lay/monastic which is represented in the Plan by an increasing lay presence in each sector of the
monastery when moving around the cloister clockwise from the infirmary.[
Herbs used during Medieval Era
Culinary plants and herbs were grown for use during the summer and were preserved
to add to winter fare. Herbs and vegetables had to be harvested in quantity and
preserved, usually by drying, to last through the long and arduous winter months.
Some herbs were able to withstand winter in the ground and provided a yearlong
bounty. Herbs often able to grow through all but the harshest winter conditions
included:

Winter savory
Atureja montana (winter
savory or mountain savory), is a
perennial, semi-evergreen herb in the
family Lamiaceae, native to warm
temperate regions of southern Europe,
the Mediterranean, and Africa. It has
dark green leaves and summer flowers
ranging from pale lavender, or pink to
white. The closely related plant, summer
savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is an
annual plant.

Oreganos
Oregano is a woody perennial plant,
growing 20–80 cm (8–31 in) tall,
with opposite leaves 1–4 cm (1⁄2–1+1⁄2 in)
long. The flowers are purple, 3–4 mm
(1⁄8–3⁄16 in) long, produced in erect spikes
in summer. It is sometimes called wild
marjoram, and its close relative, O.
majorana, is known as sweet marjoram.
Both are widely used as culinary herbs,
especially in Greek, Spanish, Italian,
Mexican, and French cuisine. Oregano is
also an ornamental plant, with
numerous cultivars bred for varying leaf
colour, flower colour and habit.
Basil

Basil leaves are glossy and oval-shaped, with

smooth or slightly toothed edges that typically
cup slightly; the leaves are arranged
oppositely along the square stems. The
small flowers are borne in terminal clusters
and range in colour from white to magenta.
The plant is extremely frost-sensitive and
grows best in warm climates. Basil is
susceptible to Fusarium wilt, blight,
and downy mildew, especially when grown in
humid conditions.

Curry

Basil leaves are glossy and oval-shaped, with

smooth or slightly toothed edges that typically
cup slightly; the leaves are arranged
oppositely along the square stems. The
small flowers are borne in terminal clusters
and range in colour from white to magenta.
The plant is extremely frost-sensitive and
grows best in warm climates. Basil is
susceptible to Fusarium wilt, blight,
and downy mildew, especially when grown in
humid conditions.

Lavender

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is

an evergreen plant native to the
Mediterranean. Its flower and oil have a
popular scent and are also used as medicine.
Lavender contains an oil that seems to have
calming effects and might relax certain
muscles. It also seems to have antibacterial
and antifungal effects.
Coriander

Coriander is an annual herb in the

family Apiaceae. It is also known
as Chinese parsley, dhania,
or cilantro . All parts of the plant are
edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried
seeds (as a spice) are the parts most
traditionally used in cooking.
Most people perceive coriander as having a
tart, lemon/lime taste, but to nearly a
quarter of those surveyed, the leaves taste
like dish soap, linked to a gene that detects
some specific aldehydes that are also used
as odorant substances in many soaps

Tarragon

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), also

known as estragon, is a species
of perennial herb in the sunflower family.
It is widespread in the wild across much
of Eurasia and North America, and is
cultivated for culinary and medicinal
purposes.
One subspecies, Artemisia
dracunculus var. sativa, is cultivated for
use of the leaves as an aromatic culinary
herb. In some other subspecies, the
characteristic aroma is largely absent.
Tarragon grows to 120–150 centimetres
(4–5 feet) tall, with slender branches. The
leaves are lanceolate, 2–8 cm (1–3 in)
long and 2–10 mm (1⁄8–3⁄8 in) broad, glossy
green, with an entire margin. The flowers
are produced in small capitula 2–4 mm
(1⁄16–3⁄16 in) diameter, each capitulum
containing up to 40 yellow florets.
 Sage

Salvia officinalis, the common sage or

just sage, is a perennial, evergreen subshrub,
with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to
purplish flowers. It is a member of the mint
family Lamiaceae and native to
the Mediterranean region, though it has been
naturalized in many places throughout the
world. It has a long history of medicinal and
culinary use, and in modern times it has been
used as an ornamental garden plant.

Rosemary

Studies have shown that the carnosic and

rosmarinic acids in rosemary have
powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and
antifungal properties. Consuming rosemary
regularly can potentially help lower the risk of
infection and help the immune system fight any
infections that do occur.

Self-heal

Prunella vulgaris plant is commonly known as

the self heal herb. It has been used medicinally
for centuries. In fact, the entire plant, which is
edible, can be used both internally and
externally to treat a number of health complaints
and wounds. The plant’s most common use is
for the treatment of cold sores.
Feverfew

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.) (Asteraceae)

is a medicinal plant traditionally used for the
treatment of fevers, migraine headaches,
rheumatoid arthritis, stomach aches, toothaches,
insect bites, infertility, and problems with
menstruation and labor during childbirth. The
feverfew herb has a long history of use in
traditional and folk medicine, especially among
Greek and early European herbalists . 

Peppermint

Peppermint has a strong sweetish odour and a

warm pungent taste with a cooling aftertaste. The
leaves are typically used fresh as a culinary herb,
and the flowers are dried and used to
flavour candy, desserts, beverages, salads, and
other foods. Its essential oil is also widely used as
a flavouring. The plant is
a hybrid between watermint (Mentha aquatica)
and spearmint (M. spicata) and
is cultivated in Europe, Asia, and North America.

Goosegrass

Goosegrass is an effective diuretic and effective

for urinary issues. In the past, it was a traditional
medicine for gallstones and issues with the
kidneys and bladder. It's high in vitamin C and is
thought to be beneficial for inflammation as well
as many other conditions.
Tansy

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is
a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant in the
genus Tanacetum in the aster family, native to
temperate Europe and Asia. It has been
introduced to other parts of the world, including
North America, and in some areas has
become invasive. It is also known as common
tansy,[2] bitter buttons, cow bitter, or golden
buttons. 

Dandelion

While many people think of the dandelion

(Taraxacum officinale) as a pesky weed, it is
chock full of vitamins A, B, C, and D, as well as
minerals, such as iron, potassium, and zinc.
Dandelion leaves are used to add flavor to salads,
sandwiches, and teas. The roots are used in some
coffee substitutes, and the flowers are used to
make wines.

Boneset

Boneset is a plant. People use the dried leaf and

flowers to make medicine. Boneset has been used
for influenza (flu), the common cold, symptoms
of lung infections, and many other conditions, but
there is no good scientific evidence to support
these uses .
RENAISSANCE
Created as teaching gardens by university faculties of medicine, the burgeoning botanical
gardens of the Renaissance favored the narrow, rectangular beds of the medieval type. In the
Chelsea Physic Garden in London, founded by the London Society of Apothecaries in the 17th
century, the beds still in use today are in the medieval style.

The Renaissance also gave rise to the collector's garden, in which botanists organized their plants
according to scientific principles and plants men exhibited horticultural rarities. Though many
new plants were grown, the gardens themselves remained geometric in form and fairly simple in
their organization, and their descent from the garden of the Middle Ages is very clear.

Renaissance favored
Botanists organized their
plants according to scientific Narrow lanes
principle
Rectangular bed
Geometric in form and fairly
simple in their organization

Chelsea Physic Garden ,London

CASE STUDY 2 –

CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN

The Chelsea Physic Garden was established as the Apothecaries' Garden in London, England,

in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries to grow plants to be used as medicines.
[1]
 This four acre physic garden, the term here referring to the science of healing, is among the
oldest botanical gardensin Britain, after the University of Oxford Botanic Garden. Its rock
garden is the oldest in Europe devoted to alpine plants and Mediterranean plants. The largest
fruiting olive tree in Britain is there, protected by the garden's heat-trapping high brick walls,
along with what is doubtless the world's northernmost grapefruit growing outdoors.[citation
needed]
 Jealously guarded during the tenure of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries the Garden
became in 1983 a registered charity and was opened to the general public for the first time.
The garden is a member of the London Museum of Health & Medicine.It is also Grade I listed in
the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England by English
Heritage
s of October 2017, the garden included 5,000 plants, in areas such as:[8]

 The Garden of Medicinal Plants

 The Pharmaceutical Garden, with plants arranged according to the ailment they are used to
treat
 The Garden of World Medicine, with medicinal plants arranged by the culture which uses
them
 The Garden of Edible and Useful Plants
 The World Woodland Garden
The Garden of Medicinal Plants
When the Garden was first established by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in 1673, its
role was to provide a place where they could grow all of the plants which young apothecaries
could learn to identify key medicinal plants.  This area is an area where apothecaries would have
grown medicinal plants in the 17th and 18th centuries. We of course no longer train apothecaries
at the Garden, but we are still visited by medical students wishing to learn about the history of
plant-based medicine.

The plants are displayed here in a series of themed rooms.

World Medicine Collection

Beds dedicated to medicine throughout every region of the world, some of the plants
traditionally used by healers, shamans, witch doctors and herbalists over the last 5,000 years.
Dioscorides Bed

Displays some of the plants first listed by the first-century Greek pharmacologist, physician and
botanist Dioscorides (c.40-c.90AD) in his book of medicinal plants.

Officinalis Beds

Early pharmacies were known as officinas and this bed displays the type of plants that would
have been sold.

Traditional Medicine of the British Isles

A range of plants grown by the Apothecaries in the Garden between the 17th and 19th centuries
are grown here.
Pharmaceutical Plants

Plants form the basis of around a quarter of all modern western medicines. Here each bed
represents a different medicinal discipline, including Oncology and Dermatology. There are
around 60 plants, all of which are vital to modern medicine.

Herbal Remedies

Displays numerous herbal remedies. Herbal remedies prepared directly from plants are relied on
by over 80% of the world’s population despite having little scientific evidence.

World Woodland Garden

Woodland and wilderness areas have been part of the fabric of Chelsea Physic Garden for over
250 years. The World Woodland Garden focuses on medicinal and useful plants from forest
environments across three regions: North America, Europe and East Asia.

Woodlands are among the richest habitats on Earth, supporting tens of thousands of species of
plants and animals.
The Garden houses 150 species of plants used for medicine, clothing, tools, shelter and food. The
collection aims to demonstrate the many ways in which we make use of the plants and trees that
occur in these biodiversity hot-spot

The Garden of Edible and Useful Plants

The Garden of Edible Plants

Chelsea Physic Garden occupies land formerly utilised as market gardens, and so has a long
history of growing edible crops. The Garden of Edible plants created in 2012, showcases a
diverse collection of fruits, vegetables and herbs.  Beds in the centre display plants according to
their vitamin content and the surrounding beds demonstrate a range of unusual and tender herbs
and spices, along with plants used to produce edible oils and alcohol.

Did you know that of the more than 20,000 different edible plants on earth, only around 20 are in
common production? Find out more about some of the more unusual species in the Garden.

 The Garden of Useful Plants

The Garden shows over 200 species used both historically and today.  It aims to bring people
closer to the plants which are inextricably woven into our everyday lives. An eclectic mix, you’ll
find beds with plants used in everything from housing to dyes to fabrics and much more. In the
centre of the area sits a bee forage – a collection of plants useful for attracting pollinators to other
crops.
Pond Rockery

The Pond Rockery has stood at the centre of the Garden since 1773. It is a Grade II listed
structure and thought to be the oldest rock garden in Europe.
The Pond Rockery has a fascinating history. Today it supports a range of Mediterranean plants
but it was originally built to house alpine plants.  Although the Garden’s unique micro-climate
should be well suited to many of these species climate change means that it is too hot to grow
alpines in this area. You can read more about the Garden’s Microclimate Emergency by clicking
on the link below.

You’ll spot a bust of the famous plant hunter Joseph Banks at the front of Pond Rockery,
overlooking the basalt he used as ballast on the ship St Lawrence when he sailed it to Iceland in
search of new plants. There are also fused bricks from a brick kiln in Chelsea and clam shells
from a voyage to Tahiti with Captain Cook, plus pieces of masonry from the Tower of London-
an eclectic mix!

The pond itself is home to some aquatic plants. The central island houses examples of the
carnivorous genus Sarracenia. These pitcher plants enjoy the humid, boggy, acid conditions
provided on the pond island.

Historical Walk

The Historical Walk laid out along the western side of the garden in the 1980s, has been planted
to show the work of some of the best-known people associated with the Garden’s history over
the last 300 years, through plants introduced or first named by them.
Since 1673, the Garden has seen some of the most famous names in horticultural history
associated with it, and their legacies live on today. Throughout the 1700’s, the Garden became
the world’s leading centre for plant exchange and distribution thanks to these pioneers. Some of
the species they introduced are displayed in this Historical Walk, including plants introduced or
grown for the first time in Britain by famed Head Gardener, Philip Miller, and rare seen tender
species from Australia and New Zealand introduced by Joseph Banks.

This history is complex and often uncomfortable. While the exploration and curiosity of these
individuals mean we have a diverse living collection, figures such as Miller and Banks also
played a key role in the horticultural colonialism of the British Empire. Economic exploitation of
plants was often pursued for the benefit of the Empire to the detriment of enslaved and
indigenous people. The Garden is working hard to find the best ways of telling these stories and
bringing to light the horticultural knowledge and excellence of the marginalised groups that the
ideology of empire often erased.

Atlantic Islands Border

Planted along the warmest wall of the garden is an extensive collection of species from the
Canary Islands and Madeira.
This collection includes rare and endangered species from Crete, the Atlantic Islands, Maderia
and the Canary Islands. Plants include species of Argyranthemum, Lavandula, Lotus, the
impressive Echium pininiana with its 8-foot blue flower spikes and the rare Echium wildpretii
from the top of the volcano (Mount Teide) in Tenerife. Many of these species only thrive here
thanks to the Garden’s unique microclimate. Chelsea Physic Garden and other botanic gardens
grow these island species in order to conserve and protect this unique flora. Seeds are freely
swapped and exchanged annually via the Index Seminum 2017.

You can find a number of the more tender plants from these islands in our Atlantic Islands
Glasshouse.

Dicotyledon Order Beds

The Order Beds were laid out in 1902. In these beds, you will find over 800 plants laid out
according to their families.
Flowering plants known as Angiosperms are divided into two groups. Dicotyledons (with two
seed leaves at germination) and Monocotyledons (a single leaf at germination). This area focuses
on the dicots and a selection of the three hundred plant families they are divided into.

Plants are based in families according to their flower structures. They represent some of the
dicots, arranged in a linear sequence of families based on a system established by botanists
George Bentham (1800-1884) and Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817-1911).

Classification is set to change in the future. Thanks to modern science, botanists can now classify
plants according to their DNA sequence. There will be many changes to plant names and
families over the coming decades as it is the aim of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) to
analyse all of the names plants on Earth

Productive gardens remained medieval in character for many centuries, as this recreation
of a colonial garden shows. The idea of dividing plants into the "useful" and the
"ornamental" is a relatively new development that started in the Renaissance as medicine,
botany, and horticulture began to diverge.
As in the Middle Ages, formal gardens of the Renaissance favored all sorts of enclosures—brick,
stone, wattle fencing, or hedges—to keep out animals and intruders. Throughout the 17th
century, the practice of enclosing household gardens persisted.

During the Renaissance, garden makers went beyond the basic forms of the medieval garden,
organizing the squares and rectangles into more complex patterns. The knot, with its decorative
interlacing bands of clipped herbs, became a feature of the pleasure garden.

A geometric design within a square, rectangle, or circle was drawn on the ground, and each
figure in the pattern was planted out with a single herb, closely clipped to maintain the design.
Gardeners often filled in the spaces between the clipped outlines with colored sand or gravel.
Elizabethan gardeners used lavender, germander, and santolina to lay out their knots. Boxwood
became the plant of choice by the 17th century and is still the most popular today. Many patterns
for these designs survive, and the knot lives on as the most elaborate and ambitious type of
formal herb garden.

- Garden makers went

beyond the basic forms of
the medieval garden

- Organizing the squares and

rectangle

- Into more complex pattern

Herbs used during Renaissance Era
Herbals and books covering botany were used in many European countries to document plants
and their purported uses. Plants were used to cure or alleviate a variety of ailments. This exhibit
focuses on herbals in Renaissance England and shortly thereafter. The development of this type
of book in England came relatively late. As a result, some people believe English herbals added
little to the development of botanical literature. It may not have had influence over development
and use of botanical literature in countries like Spain and Italy. However, it certainly affected the
use of this kind of literature in England. The printing press was key in this change because it
made it possible for more people to own herbals.

Chamomile

There are several varieties of

Chamomile.  The most essential
one to address for an exhibit on
plants in England is Roman
Chamomile. Gerard describes it
as having slender stalks.  He also
says that in spite of them being
slender, they are stronger than
other varieties of chamomile. As
result, it "stands more upright."
The flowers have a yellow center
with white petals. This
description, or similar one for
another plant, is what the reader
of the herbal could use to
identify a plant they were
unfamiliar with. They could also
compare a plant they had found
to the one described in
the book. They might do this
to ensure it was the right one
before they used it.

The virtues of this plant,

according to Gerard, include
being able to treat colic. He also
says that it provokes urine and
treats stones. However, he does
not clarify whether he means
kidney stones, bladder stones, or
both.Chamomile was sometimes
used in the birthing process. They would mix it in white wine and a woman would drink it to
help expel the afterbirth.

Nettles

Nettles were apparently very common in

England. It is reasonable to infer that
Gerard's and Culpeper's intended audience
would be more interested in the virtues of
this plant, and not unneeded details about
how to identify it.  

Gerard writes that it is an antidote against the

poisonous effects of hemlock and certain
mushrooms However, he does not write of
personal experience using nettles, as he does
some other plants. [2] Culpepper makes a
similar recommendation for those who have
mistakenly ingested hemlock but takes it a
step further.  

"The seed being drank, is a remedy against

the stinging of venomous creatures, the biting
of mad dogs, the poisonful qualities of
hemlock, henbane, nightshade, mandrake, or
other such like herbs that stupify or dull the
senses."

Pennyroyal

 “Pulegium regium vulgatum is

exceedingly well known to the English
Nation, that it needeth no description,
being our common Pennie Royall.. They
would be more interested in the virtues of
the plant, rather than the description of the
plant itself. The purported virtues of this
plant stretch from breaking up kidney
stones, to women's health. In order to get
rid of kidney stones or treat menstrual
cramps, Gerard recommends boiling
pennyroyal in wine and drinking it. He
also suggests taking pennyroyal with
honey to clear the lungs
VICTORIAN ERA
. In the 18th and 19th centuries, farmers and householders usually mixed vegetables, herbs,
fruits, and flowers in a single garden. Like the household gardens of the 16th and 17th centuries,
utilitarian gardens were essentially medieval in character.

Late in the 19th century, in reaction to Victorian bedding schemes of newly imported exotic
plants from around the globe, English ornamental gardeners became interested in "old-
fashioned" plants and gardens. This trend had its counterpart in the Colonial Revival movement
in the United States, in which writers such as Alice Morse Earle extolled the charms of the 18th-
century American garden, with its box-bordered beds and traditional cottage-garden herbs and
flowers.

In the first half of the 20th century, scholars like Agnes Arber reclaimed the botanical legacy of
the Renaissance, and in the 1920s and '30s, Eleanor Sinclair Rohde helped popularize old
English herbals, publishing many books and articles and designing herb gardens based on
medieval and Tudor patterns.
In 1933, American gardeners founded the Herb Society of America to promote the knowledge
and appreciation of herbs. Its members have created and maintained many public and private
herb gardens.

In the late 1940s Vita Sackville-West relaid and extended a small plot of herbs at her Elizabethan
manor in Kent, England, creating the famous formal herb garden at Sissinghurst. Though
Sackville-West used historical elements in her quartered design, its emphasis on color and
texture makes it an outstanding and influential example of the modern ornamental herb garden.

Lately gardeners have become increasingly interested in the ornamental qualities of the herb
garden. In the last 20 years the plant list has greatly expanded as new color forms and cultivars
of herbs long grown for their usefulness have been developed. Many foliage plants that are
considered herblike in texture, form, or fragrance are now admitted to the herb garden.
Experiments with color in the herb garden have also inspired the inclusion of many purely
ornamental flowering plants. At the same time, plants appreciated for their medicinal or other
uses continue to find new homes among more traditional garden herbs.
CASE STUDY3 -

SISSINGHURST CASTLE
Gardeners have
become
increasingly
interested in the
ornamental
qualities of the
herb garden.

Experiments with color in

the herb garden have also
inspired the inclusion
Plan of Sissinghurst castle

Vita often wrote of Sissinghurst: 'The heavy golden sunshine enriched the old brick with a kind
of patina, and made the tower cast a long shadow across the grass, like the finger of a gigantic
sundial veering slowly with the sun. Everything was hushed and drowsy and silent but for the
coo of the white pigeons.'
The Rose Garden
Vita envisaged the Rose Garden as a 'tumble of roses and honeysuckle, figs and vines'. Whereas
Harold's keenness for strict geometry is evident in the circular shaped hedge, or Rondel, at the
west end of the garden

The White Garden

Until 1950, the White Garden had been filled with roses but as they outgrew their space they
were transferred to what was to become the Rose Garden.

When planning the garden, Harold found some white gladioli, white irises, white pompom
dahlias and the white Japanese anemones, which he and Vita both loved.

The South Cottage Garden

Warm reds and gold mark out the South Cottage Garden, which is a riot of colour in late summer
and autumn.

 
Against the wall of the South Cottage, the early-summer-flowering rose Mme Alfred Carriere
was the first thing that Vita and Harold planted at Sissinghurst, on the day their offer to buy was
accepted.

The Herb Garden

Set beyond the Nuttery, the Herb Garden looks and smells wonderful. As Adam Nicolson, Vita
and Harold's grandson says: 'Only the beautiful, the pungent and the elegant are allowed here'.

The Nuttery

Kentish cobnuts, a variety of hazelnut, create a shady haven for birds and visitors alike in the
Nuttery.

In April 1930, Harold recorded in his diary the moment he and Vita decided to buy Sissinghurst -
'We came suddenly upon the nutwalk', he wrote, 'and that settled it'.

 
The Lime Walk
Also known as the Spring Garden, this is one area where Harold controlled the design and
planting. Long beds of tulips, fritillaries and hyacinths are marked out by an avenue of pleached
limes, punctuated by generous terracotta pots, every inch bursting with colour for about four
weeks.

Delos
In 1935, while on a cruise of the Mediterranean, they visited the Greek island of Delos. So
inspired were they that, on their return to Sissinghurst, they created a new garden, a landscape of
ruined stone fragments and Mediterranean plants, which they named Delos in homage. Though
there are no plans to speak of, just letters and photographs, by 1937 the garden was mostly
finished, however it was not a success. The spot they had chosen was north-facing and, unusually
for such experienced amateur gardeners, their knowledge of Mediterranean plants was sorely
lacking.

With the help of Dan Pearson and his studio we have reimagined Vita and Harold’s Delos into
the Mediterranean Garden they had dreamed of. Austere yet delicate, full of loss and ruination
and full of promise and beauty. Our challenge now is to learn how to garden this landscape, to
create the sense of a garden with plants that have colonised a ruin rather than one where plants
are cultivated within a ruin.

 
The Moat Walk
The Moat Walk is defined on one side by the remains of an Elizabethan wall, and on the other by
a bank of bright yellow azaleas. These were planted in 1946 by Vita with £100 she won from the
Royal Society of Literature's Heinemann Prize for her poem The Garden.

The Orchard
Vita and Harold always intended the Orchard to be half garden, half wilderness. Roses were
planted against the boughs of old apple trees, with winding paths mown in long grasses.

Bees make use of the apple blossom and make honey in the hives. The gazebo was built in 1969
in memory of Harold Nicolson.

The Purple Border

The Purple Border is not made up of purple plants alone. One of our gardeners says, 'Not much
of it is purple. It's a clever mix of pink, blues, lilacs and purples.'Roses are planted in the border;
beauties such as 'Charles de Mills' and Rosa 'Geranium' along with hazel brushwood help to keep
the plants upright.

Herbs were also an essential part of pest control too. Selective planting of herbs among your
vegetables ensured the bugs were enticed away you’re your essential food sources. Certain
flowering herbs were also edible delights too, brightening up salads and adding décor to cakes
and deserts.Herbs the Victorians used for ‘medicinal’ properties
Herbs used during Victorian Era
Bee Balm

While bee balm is edible it is also

medicinal and was used by Victorians as
an antiseptic, a diuretic and as a
treatment for colds, headaches and to
reduce insomnia. Steam inhalation of the
plant can be used for sore throats. Also
known as wild bergamot, the plant is a
fragrant addition to any herb garden and
its flowers can be used in salads.

Catmint

Related to catnip, catmint can grow up to

three to four feet in height and was used
by Victorians as a tea to help them sleep
and it was also used to ease colic in
babies. Catmint should be sown or
planted out in spring and thinned to at
least a foot apart. It also thrives in
containers which serve a dual-purpose –
taming a plant that can often be an
aggressive grower.

Chamomile

Chamomile, with its soothing properties

and cheerful white daisy-like flowers
with their yellow centres is much-loved
when used in tea. It has anti-
inflammatory and antibacterial
properties, can be used in baths (dried
flowers in a muslin bag hung over taps)
and in herb pillows to help relax and ease
stress.

Lavender
Lavender cleanses the skin and was used by Victorians as a treatment for spot-prone skin and to
combat headaches and depression. It was also used as a nerve tonic, a compress for chest
congestions and was an ingredient in the smelling salts used to revive swooning ladies. In the
kitchen, cooks used it to make fragrant fruit jellies and vinegars and housekeepers would use
lavender water to scent bed linen to aid sleep

Dill

In cooking, only the leaves and not the thick stems are used. In addition to using dill in their
kitchens, the Victorians also revered it for its ability to
boost digestive health and relieve ailments such as
insomnia, hiccups, menstrual disorders and flatulence.
They also believed it relieved arthritis.

Feverfew

Used by Victorians to treat headaches, arthritis and

fever. Feverfew can easily be grown from seed and
needs to be grown in a sunny spot, ideally in loamy soil.
They can quickly overtake other plants, so be judicious
with pruning. A perennial, the herb blooms between July
and October.

Lambs ears

It was
used
by

Victorians for insect stings and as a field dressing and

poultice to make an effective bandage when clean fabric was unavailable. Grow in full sun and
well-drained soil, spacing plants between one and three feet apart. Cut back flowering stems
close to ground level after they have finished blooming and they will sprout healthy new stems
and leaves.

Lemon balm

Lemon balm was used by Victorians to make a facial cleanser for people suffering from acne and
was also used to stop the growth of bacteria and viruses. Used in tea, it is said to have a mildly
sedative effect and ladies would put leaves into their handkerchiefs to sniff to repel odours.

Mint

Mint was used for insect bites and to revive people who had
fainted. It was also used to strengthen gums, to help gout, to
“clean foul ulcers” and to treat whooping cough. Commonly
used for cases of sickness and stomach problems, mint is at
its best in full sun in moist soil.

Rosemary

The Victorians adored rosemary, which

was used in cooking and as a remedy
for ailments such as eczema and arthritis.
It was also used to heal wounds, as a hair
rinse for dandruff, as an air
freshener, a rodent repellent and applied externally as an oil to help relieve pain from indigestion
or stomach cramps.
 Sage

Hugely popular in the 19th century, sage was

used to treat sore throats on the basis it
contains a natural astringent and antiseptic
tannins. It was also used to treat dandruff
and for “womanly issues”, in particular the
menopause, and as an antibiotic, a diuretic
and a culinary herb to flavour meats. It is a
forgiving herb – the larger the leaves grow
the more the flavour intensifies and, unlike
many herbs, sage leaves are still delicious
after the plant flowers.

Influence of traders

The vast increase in foreign trade led not only to imports into Europe of herbs and spices ,but
also exports to trading posts and settlements abroad .Early traders in America for example were
soon sending to Europe such widely separated exotics as chilli peppers etc .Meanwhile in Europ
the import of plants, particularly medicinal plants , gradually influenced the very shapes and
designs as well as the contents of the gardens, and gardening was a pursuit for both the wealthy
and the scholarly.
Decline

A gradual movement of people from the

country side to industrial areas meant a decline
of knowledge of native plants and fewer
people to gather them. Dried herbs also
became a factory product but with time
people , the interest of packeted dried herbs is
declining and people are opting out for fresh
kinds. Significant decrease of interest can be
seen with advances in medicines as well as
growing confidence in doctors and efficacy of
modern drug .Coupled to that there is a gradual
elimination to dire poverty and introduction to
better and advanced health system.
REVIVAL, MODERNIZATION AND INTEGRATION OF TRADITIONAL HERBAL
AND MEDICINAL GARDENS

In spite of incredible advances in modern science, technology and allopathic medicine a large we

are unable to provide quality healthcare to all. Traditional medicine particularly herbal medicine
considered as a major healthcare provider around the globe particularly in rural and remote areas.
A large section of people depends on such medicine for their primary healthcare mainly in
underdeveloped or developing countries. Indian traditional medicinal system like Ayurveda,
Siddha and Unani has a very rich history of their effectiveness; modern research also
acknowledged the importance of such medicine. Indian traditional medicine or medicinal plants
are also considered as a vital source of new drug. Mainstreaming of such medicine is important
for the people. Several steps have been taken in India to promote such medicine and to integrate
them into clinical practice. Evidence based incorporation of Indian traditional medicine in
clinical practice will help to provide quality healthcare to all.

Medicinal plants have long had a role in supporting the health of human populations. Our
Paleolithic hunter-gatherer ancestors possessed extensive knowledge of the nutritional-medicinal
properties of surrounding vegetation. Archaeological evidence suggests that bands of prehistoric
people may have commonly reserved a role for shamans who had knowledge of the location and
use of medicinal plants. The beginnings of the shift to agriculture around 12 000 years ago
altered human relations with the natural landscape, reducing the biodiversity of plant species
used by people. And yet, everywhere powerful civilizations arose there remained enduring
interest in medicinal plants. Royal gardens containing specimens with medicinal value appeared
in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Crete, Mexico, and China, and written texts conveyed this
knowledge across generations.
HERBAL AND MEDICINAL GARDENS IN MODERN ERA

In the first half of the 20th century, scholars like Agnes Arber reclaimed the botanical legacy of
the Renaissance, and in the 1920s and '30s, Eleanor Sinclair Rohde helped popularize old
English herbals, publishing many books and articles and designing herb gardens based on
medieval and Tudor patterns.

Productive gardens remained medieval in character for

many centuries, as this recreation of a colonial garden
shows. The idea of dividing plants into the "useful" and the
"ornamental" is a relatively new development that started in
the Renaissance as medicine, botany, and horticulture began
to diverge.

In 1931, after years of study and experiment, Maude Grieve published her Modern Herbal, the
first comprehensive encyclopedia of herbs published in English since the 17th century. This
classic of herbal literature contains historical and horticultural information on hundreds of herbs,
describing their chemical properties and medicinal and industrial uses. In 1933, American
gardeners founded the Herb Society of America to promote the knowledge and appreciation of
herbs. Its members have created and maintained many public and private herb gardens.

The modern era is increasingly interested in the ornamental and functional qualities of the herb
garden. In the last 20 years the plant list has greatly expanded as new color forms and cultivars
of herbs long grown for their usefulness have been developed. Many foliage plants that are
considered herblike in texture, form, or fragrance are now admitted to the herb garden.
Experiments with color in the herb garden have also inspired the inclusion of many purely
ornamental flowering plants. At the same time, plants appreciated for their medicinal or other
uses continue to find new homes among more traditional garden herbs.

CASE STUDY 04

THE PHYSIC GARDEN AT NOVARTIS CAMPUS

 Architects: Sweco architects
 Project: The Physic Garden at Novartis Campus
 Location: Basel, Switzerland
 Landscape architect: Thorbjörn Andersson with Sweco architects
 Team: Pege Hillinge, Johan Krikström, Johnny Lindeberg, Emma Norrman (plants),
Therese Egnor (plants), Alexander Cederroth (light),  Markus Moström (graphics), Pål
Svensson (drinking fountains).
 Client: Novartis Pharma
 Consultants: Schönholzer + Staufer GmbH/ Beat Rösch, Basler + Partner (structural
engineering).
 Area: 2800 sqm
 Opening: 2012

Thorbjörn Andersson with Sweco architects: When commissioned as designers for the new
Physic Garden at Novartis Campus, Basel, Switzerland, the idea of trying to create a modern
version of the medieval monastery garden intrigued us. It would add a depth of time to the place,
as well as symbolic content: the monastery garden represents the very origin of pharmacy as a
science and thus the activity of Novartis as a company. But the Physic Garden is foremost a
place to celebrate sensuous phenomena of all kinds. It is a place where mystic scents, changing
colors, and seasonal variety can be enjoyed and also studied.

This Physic Garden is based on the monastery garden where, in ancient times, monks developed
their knowledge about the pharmaceutical properties in plants, a knowledge that provided the
foundation for today´s research efforts. These were often hidden places, laboratories in the
outdoors, secluded from public life, containing secrets of utmost importance. Consequently, the
Physic Garden at Novartis is hidden, spatially organized as a theatre, or as a labyrinth, or as an
onion with many layers. The garden is semi-enclosed, and the visitor enters through a zig-zag
movement between backdrops of tall hedges of yew (Taxus) and beech (Fagus). The garden
reveals itself step by step. The one who searches will find; a statement which is as relevant to the
researcher of today as it was to the medieval monk.

Along the sides of the sunken bed are four “log racks”, a collection of logs stacked in piles
whose forms complement the screens of hedges, and are also reminiscent of a library. The types
of wood selected represent tree species from which substances have been extracted and used in
ethnopharmacology. A series of amphora-like drinking fountains, designed by artist Pål
Svensson, provides a dripping sound, a light-reflecting mirror of water and also refreshment for
the visitor. All in all, 70 plant species are on display in the Physic Garden.
The slightly sunken basin adds to the preciousness of the plants, and placed inside the frame of a
low granite wall, these fragile specimens become untouchable. They are viewed from slightly
above, and we can read the flower bed as a colorful and textured painting or a striped carpet.
Bridges of light construction, without railings, span the sunken bed, permitting the daring visitor
a closer examination of the plants, each of which is labeled with an engraved bronze plaque
mounted at the edge of the bed.
the center, a sunken planting bed opens up, containing 31 species of pharmaceutical plants
organized in a striped pattern.The slightly sunkenness of the basin adds to the preciousness of the
plants, and placed inside the frame of a low granite wall, these fragile specimens become
untouchable. They are viewed from slightly above, and we can read the flower bed as a colorful
and textured painting or a striped carpet. Bridges of light construction, without railings, span the
sunken bed, permitting the daring visitor a closer examination of the plants, each of which is
labeled with an engraved bronze plaque mounted at the edge of the bed.
HERBAL GARDENS OF INDIA

India is one of the 12 mega biodiversity centers having over 45,000 plant species. Its diversity is
unmatched due to the presence of 16 different agro climatic zones, 10 vegetative zones and 15
biotic provinces. The country has 15,000 to 18,000 flowering plants, 23,000 fungi, 2500 algae,
1600 lichens, 1800 bryophytes and 30 million micro-organisms. India also has an equivalent of
3/4 of its land exclusive economic zone in the ocean that is harboring a large variety of flora and
fauna. However, many of them showed therapeutic properties. About 1500 plants with medicinal
uses are mentioned in ancient texts and around 800 plants have been used in traditional medicine
(Anonymous, 1998).

Herbal and medicinal plants in India

Ashwagandh
Common Name: Asvagandha, Asagand.
It is an erect evergreen tomentose shrub. 30-150 cm
high. Roots stout whitish-brown. Leaves simple
ovate. Those found in the fortal region small
opposite. Flowers inconspicuous, light green or pale
yellow, in axillary. Umbellate cymes. Parts used:
Roots. Uses: Ashwagandh is a reputed medicinal
plant, extensively utilized in Indian System of
Medicine for treatment of various diseases such as
leprosy, nervous disorders, , enunciation of children
and as a tonic for all kinds of weakness and also to
promote vigor and vitality.

Bergamot Mint
Common Name: Vilayati-Pudina
An erect, branching herb, leaves opposite, thin,
petiolate, Uses: The main use of Bergamot Mint oil
is in perfumery and cosmetics. The oil is used as
such in soaps, perfumes and toiletry items.
Bhumy Amalaki
Common Name: Bhumyamalaki,Tamalaki,
Hazardana
Erect annual herb, upto 1 m; main stem simple or
branched, smooth, terete, straminous or brownish,
Cataphylls: stipules deltoid, dominate, entire, blade
subulate, aluminate, 1-1.5 mm long; stipules ovate,
lanceolate, entire, leaf blades membranous of
thickened, elliptic oblong, 5.11 mm long and 3.6
mm broad, obtuse or rounded. Flowes monoecious
with unisexual and bisexual cymules.

Bramhi

Common Name: Brahmi, Jala Brahmi

The plant is creeping succulent herb that branches

profusely at nodes. The succulent leaf is sessile,
opposite, decussate, obovate-oblanceolate in
shape, with inconspicuous veins and produce
branches in their axils. Flowers solitary, axillary
with while or lilac campanulate corolla and
capitate stigma.

Vetiver
Common Name: Khas
A perennial rhizomatous grass with erect clums.
Leaves up to 2m long: ligule, a minute seavour
rim. Flower in panicle of spiciform racemes. Parts
used: Roots, source of essential oil.

Herbal gardens in Rashtrapathi Bhavan Delhi

Aerial view of the medicinal garden. (Source: Rashtrapati Bhavan)

President Kalam’s vision to promote natural remedies led to the establishing of the Herbal
Gardens with the help and supervision of the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
(CIMAP).Around 33 medicinal and aromatic plants depicting their use are planted in these
gardens.

They include, Ashwangdha extensively utilized in treatment of various diseases such as leprosy,
nervous disorders, venereal diseases, rheumatism and as a tonic for all kinds of weakness and
also to promote vigor and vitality; Bramhi that is used in the treatment of mental disorders like
epilepsy, insanity and memory loss; Evening primrose, the oil of which is widely used as a
dietary supplement, for cosmetic purposes and for the treatment of atopic eczema in the pre
menstrual syndrome; Menthol mint, that is widely used for flavouring toothpastes, mouth
washes, chewing gum, beverages, confectioneries and also in cosmetic preparation. Menthol is
also used in medicines like pain balm, analgesic creams and cough syrups etc.

Other important plants include Stevia, which provides safe sugar for diabetics, Isabgol,Damask
Rose, Tulsi, Geranium, Lemongrass etc. The benefits of each plant variety are indicated next to
the bed in the garden. Farmers are invited to visit the gardens so that they are encouraged to
grow medicinal and herbal plants which are becoming extensively remunerative and beneficial to
the society.

THEMATIC HERBAL GARDENS

The use of medicinal plants for treating illness is as old as human civilization. The medicinal
uses of plants are well documented in the classical texts of Indian systems of medicine (ISM).
Many of the modern medicines can be traced to their traditional usage and plant origin.
However, the overexploitation of the medicinal herbs is driving a valuable resource to the brink
of their extinction (Ved and Goraya, 2007). Herbal gardens are well-known means of
‘participatory’ and ex-situ conservation and a foundation for protecting green intellectual wealth.
Herbal gardens reflect the long-standing tradition of creating awareness, imparting insight and
conserving the medicinal plants for health care. Herbal gardens offer an opportunity to grow
medicinal herbs for various use while spreading knowledge of their importance and traditional
uses and saving plants that are threatened, endangered and rare in their habitat. The home
gardening of medicinal herbs contributes to household food security by providing direct access
to herbal culinary medicines that can be harvested, prepared and used for family members for
curing day to day health requirements. But, the thematic approach has to grow as concept at field
level to arrange and design a comprehensive collection of medicinal plants in a unique and
systemic manner based on a userfriendly theme. Thematic herbal garden should be further
orientated and designed further for its visual beauty and displayed as combination of herbs in
both traditional and modern prospects. Some of the popular themes for establishing herbal
gardens are suggested herein.

Popular themes for herbal garden

Nakshatra Vatika/Herbal Garden

Raashi Nakshatra Vatika at residential campus Motibagh, New Delhi under NMPB funded project

The Hindu Panchanga assigns a separate tree for each of the 27 constellations (Nakshatra)
through which the planet sun passes. It is believed that celestial bodies like the sun and the moon
exert different influences on human beings whenthey are transiting through these 27
constellations. It is also believed that such effects can be moderated or enhanced by planting and
worshipping trees assigned to each constellation. This collection of trees planted as per their
known constellation assignment in an anorder which constitutes a typical Nakshatra garden.
Some of the constellation wise medicinal plants for a Nakshatra garden would be Strychnos nux-
vomica (for Ashwini nakshatra), Syzygium cumini (for Rohini nakshatra), Ficus glomerata (for
Kritika nakshatra), Terminalia arjuna (for Swati nakshatra), Acacia catechu (for Mrigshira
nakshatra), Madhuca latifolia (for Revati nakshatra), etc.

Raashi / Zodiac sign garden

The 27 Nakshatras (constellations) are further assembled into 12 zodiac signs. Religiously and
astrologically speaking, the zodiacs sign plays a significant role in the lives of human beings.
Any astrological prediction emanates from the zodiac sign of a person. Indian astrology has
assigned specific trees for specific zodiac signs, e.g., Emblica officinalis, Strychnos nux-vomica,
Ficus glomerata for zodiac sign Aries, Mesua ferria, Bombyx ceiba, Shorea robusta for zodiac
sign Scorpio, Azadirachta indica, Mangifera indica, Madhuca indica for zodiac sign Pisces, etc.

Arogya Vatika / Charak garden

Our ancient scriptures have documented a large number of medicinal plants for treating various
ailments affecting different organs in the human body. A thematic garden can be based on the
medicinal uses documented in the classical texts of Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM). There are
approximately 500+ medicinal plants that are most commonly used in different ISMs like
Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Sowarigpa (Shankar, 2015). Some of theimportant medicinal
plants that find mentioned in the classical texts can be easily grown in a thematic garden based
on ISM are Brahmi (Centella asiatica), Amla (Emblica officinalis), Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna),
Harad (Terminalia chebula), Baheda (Terminalia bellerica), Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus),
Sarpagandha (Rauvolfia serpentina), etc

Manav Herbal Garden/Manav Vatika

Manav herbal garden can be a unique thematic herbal garden concept where the entire garden is
uniquely landscaped in the form of a human body. The medicinal plants are planted in the
landscaped body parts as per their popular medicinal use related to the ailments of that particular
body part. For e.g., Bhringraj (Eclipta alba), Henna (Lawsonia inermis), Gudhal/Javakusum
(Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) in the hair section of the landscape, Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri),
Mandookparni (Centella asiatica) in the brain section of the landscape, Sarpagandha (Rouvolfia
serpentina), Arjun (Terminalia arjuna) in the heart section of the landscape, Kalmegh
(Andrographis paniculata), Punarnava (Boerhaviadiffusa) etc in the liver section, Pippali (Piper
nigrum), Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) in the stomach section, Ratti (Abrus precatorius),
Atibala (Abutilon indicum) in the urino-genital section of the landscape, and so on (Singh et al.
2005). It would help a visitor to correlate the plant use with the body part in a natural and a user-
friendly manner. It helps to preserve age-old intellectual property and sensitize common man,
student, and researcher visiting the garden for the daily use of medicinal plants in their life

Aloe vera planted in triangle shape at Kendriya Vidalaya Shalimarbagh, New Delhi under NMPB supported project

Aquatic medicinal plants garden

Aquatic medicinal plants are also significant in their medicinal properties as some of these plants
are used for the treatment of serious life-threatening diseases like cancer and genetic disorders
(Shankar et al., 2012). Further, the aquatic medicinal plants help in maintaining a natural balance
in the water ecosystem. Some of the important aquatic medicinal plants those can be part of an
aquatic medicinal plant garden are i.e. lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), polygonum (Polygonum
glabrum), mandookparni (Centella asiatica), Lemna minor, water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica),
water cabbage (Pistia stratiotes), Chrysopogon zizanioides (vetiver) etc.

Nutritional medicinal plants garden

Medicinal herbs have been used as food items for curing ailments since time immemorial. A
wide variety of active phytochemicals, vitamins, carbohydrates, antioxidants, proteins, minerals,
etc., have been identified in different parts of the medicinal herbs (Katiyar et al., 2013). In
modern times, we are witnessing a renewed interest in the use of herbal remedies that can double
as a food supplement. Ghritkumari (Aloe vera), giloe (Tinospora cordifolia), drumstick (Moringa
oleifera), amla (Emblica officinalis), Withania somnifera, etc., can be part of a medicinal plant
garden developed on the theme of nutrition.

Herbal tea garden

There exists a huge range of delicious medicinal herbs that can be grown for either hot or cold
(iced) herbal infusions or teas with many medicinal benefits. These herbal infusions popularly
referred to as ‘miracle’ herbs are beneficial for treating nutrient imbalances and support
treatment for overall health and wellness (Anonymous, 2011).Chamomile (Matricaria reticulata),
lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), thyme (Thymus vulgaris),
rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), ginger (Zingiber officinale), tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) are
some of the popular herbs that are used in herbal tea preparations worldwide and can be part of
any herbal tea garden

Children’s herbal garden and herbal Park for differently abled/visually impaired persons

An herbal garden may be planned near the Children’s park/ playground/amusement parks etc.
During visits to the parkkids and students can explore the garden independently, and “feel, taste,
and smell” and the beauty of the herbal garden. Medicinal plants like Aloe vera, Centella
asiatica, Ocimum sanctum, Pelargonium graveolens, and other attractive and blooming herbs like
lavender (Lavandula sp.), spearmint (Mentha spicata), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), gudhal
(Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) can be part of the children’s herbal garden. Children’s herbal garden can
be further established using varieties of medicinal plants that have sensory and textural qualities
as well. This garden can also be useful for the differently abled (visually impaired) persons as a
visit to a specialized theme based herbal garden can be a delight for the senses. In addition to the
wonderful aromas of lavender, thyme, and mint, one can stop to enjoy the texture of the leaves of
sage and lamb’s ears, rub a few leaves and absorb the variety of fragrances associated with herbs.
This collection emphasizes culinary, medicinal, and ornamental herbs, as well as some used for
cosmetics and essential oils. Some of the suggested plants based on different sensorial, olfactory
and tactile triggers are

 Touch – Succulents like Ghritkumari (Aloe vera), coleus (Coleus aromaticus), houseleek
(Sempervivum tectorum), chhuimui (Mimosa pudica),etc.
 Taste – Basil (Ocimum sanctum), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Madhu parni
(Stevia rebaudiana) etc.
 Smell- Jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum), lavender (Lavendula sp.), geranium
(Pelargonium graveolens), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), mint (Mentha arvensis), etc.
 Blooming Herbs-Lavender (L. calendula), spearmint (Mentha spicata), rosemary (R.
officinalis), gudhal (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), silybum (Silybum marianum) etc

Disease based Herbal Garden

Herbal gardens can be established based on the known established/documented disease-curing

properties/actions. Some examples are a) Anticancer plants garden viz., Catharanthus roseus,
Andrographis paniculata, Podophyllum peltatum b) Antimalarial and mosquito repellant plants
garden i.e. Azadirachta indica, Morindalucida, Cymbopogon citratus, Ocimum sanctum, Vitex
peduncularis (Shankar et al., 2012) (c) Anti-oxidant plants garden comprising i.e. Moringa
oleifera, Tinospora cordifolia, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Acacia arabica etc.
(Aoshima et al., 2007; Gupta et al., 2006).

Some important medicinal plants for thematic herbal garden (a) Azadirachta indica (b) Emblica officinalis (c) Aegle
marmelos (d) Bacopa monnieri (e) Withania somnifera (f) Asparagus racemosus
MODERN TYPES OF HERBAL AND MEDICINAL GARDENS

Culinary Garden:

This garden should be placed as close to the kitchen as possible. It should be located away from
roads and driveways. Road dust and runoff contain lead, salt and dirt that you do not want on
herbs you are eating. This garden can be filled with cooking herbs, edible flowers, or salad herbs.

Medicinal Garden:

Many medicinal herbs grow best in lightly shaded, moist rich ground, so a partly shaded site will
be great for a medicinal garden. Be careful when picking the plants for this garden. Many
medicinal herbs are dangerous, and should be kept out of the reach of children. If poisonous
herbs are planted, plant them separately and clearly mark them. Medicinal gardens can be
grouped according to the parts of the body with which they are associated. They may be grouped
according to botanical family. A simple and beneficial herb garden can consist of five basic
herbs: peppermint, lemon verbena, rosemary, sage and chamomile.

Container gardening

Herbs can easily be grown in any type or shape of container, and can be used in window boxes,
on a patio, or as part of the landscape. These containers can be made of clay, wood, or plastic;
they could be jars or pots. There are advantages to growing herbs in containers. At the end of the
season and before a frost, the herb container can be brought indoors to be enjoyed through the
winter.

The planting container should be clean and should have holes or slits in the bottom to allow
water to drain. Fill the container with potting soil and a little bonemeal. More than one type of
herb can be planted in the same container if they have similar water, light, and soil type
requirements. Herbs with tap roots should be planted in a deep container to allow the roots to
grow. A 32-inch long container/ planter that is ten inches deep and ten inches wide can hold up
to ten herbs.

If you have a decorative pot with no drainage, you can take a smaller pot with drainage and
place it on gravel inside the larger pot. Soil in planting containers has a tendency to dry out more
quickly than the soil in the ground. This means that frequent watering will be required and on
very hot days the container may need to be watered twice a day. Never allow the soil in a
container to dry out completely.

Indoor Gardens

Many herbs grow well indoors. They may not reach the fullness or height that they would
outdoors, but they still provide beauty and abundant leaves. They are versatile and can be grown
on a table next to a window, in hanging baskets, in a terrarium, and in pots or tubs. Your
imagination is the limit. Choose a window where the plants will get plenty of sun, ideally a
south-facing window that gets light all day. If using artificial plant lights, give 12 to 16 hours of
light each day. The herbs will tolerate warm, dry temperatures, but the ideal temperature range is
50 to 600F. Provide plants with sufficient water so that the soil remains moist. All herbs
consume water differently, so water as needed. If your house is dry, mist plants each day. Herbs
that typically do well indoors include bay leaf, basil, borage, burnet, catnip, chamomile, chives,
lavender, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, scented geranium, tansy,
and tarragon.

Design strategies

Growing in the Garden

Most herbs are not difficult to grow. Herbs do best in good, well-drained garden soil with a pH
of 6.5- 7.0. Herbs are tough and adaptable and will tolerate, but not thrive in poor soil. There are
many ways to landscape with herbs. They can be integrated into an overall design, or they can be
featured in special period or theme gardens.

• For a better effect, plant groups of a given herb together. Masses of plants will stand out.

• Allow enough space for shapes to develop.

• Paths should be made of clean, solid materials. You may want to walk on them in slippers or in
the rain.

• Access to herb beds should be easy. Make sure herbs are easy to reach so you can tend and
harvest them without trouble.

• If possible plant perennials in one area, biennials and annuals in another, so as not to disturb
the perennials’ roots.

• Plant invasive herbs in areas where they will not smother other plants.

Invasive Herbs:

Some herbs can soon become pests in your garden, spreading rapidly by roots or selfseeding.
These include: mints, yarrow, tansy (roots), motherwort, and valerian (seeds). Some suggestions
to contain them include the following:

• Plant these herbs by themselves, away from the garden.

• Grow them in containers

• Plant the herb in tile, or plastic piping buried at least two feet in the ground.
MAINTENANCE OF HERBAL GARDEN

Herbs are self-reliant plants with few pressing needs. Perhaps the most pressing will be weeding.
Mulching The herb garden benefits from mulching in the summer and winter, with a mulch such
as peat moss, decomposed leaves, and straw. Mulching in the summer keeps the soil moist and
helps to controls weeds. Slugs can become a problem; however, as the mulch provides an ideal
environment for them. Winter mulching protects perennial plants by preventing the alternating
thawing and freezing that pushes the herbs out of the ground, causing serious damage to the
roots. A mulch can shield the roots from such extremes by keeping soil temperatures even. The
mulch should be light and porous enough to allow air penetration, yet thick enough to shade the
soil and provide adequate insulation.

Pruning and Clipping

When herbs are planted in a garden, their growth is exuberant and at times needs to be curtailed.
Most herbs will benefit from clipping and pruning by developing fresh new growth and a more
compact shape. In spring you should prune shrubby herbs: Southernwood and wormwood should
be cut to about 7-9 inches from the ground. Rosemary, lavender, and sage should be cut back
more carefully; prune only last year’s growth. Thymes and winter savory may need some
trimming to help encourage new growth. Herb clippings should never be wasted. They can be
used in many ways. If they are not too old they can be dried and used as flavorings. Or, they can
also be used to scent the house. The woody clippings can be used as aromatic firewood to
freshen and scent the air. Clippings can also be added to the compost pile.

Pest affecting Herbal garden

Insects and Diseases

Like vegetables and flowers, seedlings and established herb plants can be susceptible to diseases
like damping-off and insect pests such as aphids, cutworms, and whiteflies. Good gardening
practices are essential or problems may result. For example, if plants are planted too close to
each other in a garden with poorly drained soil, the herbs will be more susceptible to various rot,
mildew and wilt diseases. It is critical for the herb gardener to use techniques such as crop
rotation, mulching, cultivation, weeding, sanitation (ex. destroying infected plants), handpicking
insects, using yellow sticky traps, and protecting seedlings with cardboard collars especially as
few pesticides are registered for use on herbs.
Herb Pests Snails/Slugs
Two common pests that damage herbs are slugs and snails, which will feed on just about any
part of the herb plant. They can be handpicked off the plants, or one can use boards placed in the
damp area near the plants as traps. Turn the boards over in the morning, checking for and
removing the creatures. Another common home remedy is to trap slugs using a “beer garden
pool”. As a “bait”, use beer 3/4 inch deep in a steep-sided dish tray to capture slugs. Insects
Although herbs are generally insect-free and some aromatic herbs actually seem to repel insects,
inevitably you will have to deal with insects. For example, aphids are known to attack
chamomile and dill. If pests do become a problem, you can hand pick them from the plants, or
check with your local Extension office for additional recommendations.
Diseases
There are some diseases common to herbs like mint rust (on mint), crown rot, and powdery
mildew (on bee balm, tansy, roses and mallows). For accurate diagnosis and control information,
contact your local Extension office.

Preservation Measures
Winter Herbs are versatile as they can be used fresh or harvested and stored for off-season use.
In a warm climate, fresh herbs are available year round from the garden, patio, or balcony. Here
in New Hampshire, as September approaches, the choice of fresh herbs becomes very limited. To
supply yourself with fresh herbs during the long winter months, bring herbs growing in
containers indoors two weeks before the first frost. Or, during the bountiful summer months,
fresh herbs can be harvested and preserved for winter use.
1. Drying
Drying leaves, flowers or seed is the best-known way of preserving herbs. Keep in mind that
when storing herbs, you want to preserve not only the leaves or flowers but also the flavor,
fragrance and aroma.
2. Leaves
Herbs that will be used in winter time should be harvested when the plants begin to flower. The
best time to harvest leaves is on a dry morning just after the dew has dried from the leaves, but
before the sun gets hot.
Drying green leaves away from the sun will allow them to retain their green color. This is
especially critical for those herbs with high moisture content like basil, tarragon, lemon balm and
mint varieties.
Wash to remove any dust or soil and then dry as soon as possible in a well-ventilated darkened
room.
You may hang or air dry herbs inside brown paper bags to keep the dust off. Punch many holes
into the bags to let air in and moisture out. (The exceptions here are sage, rosemary, and the
thymes which contain less moisture in their leaves.
This group can be dried in the sun without it affecting the color). In a poorly ventilated room,
herbs will dry slowly and leaves will turn dark and moldy.
To prevent this, you may need to use a different method of drying. Spread leaves on a mesh rack
and place the rack in an oven of 100-125 0F.
Leave the door open and stand nearby.
Leaves will be dry in a few minutes.
Dried leaves should be stored in sealed containers.
3. Seeds
Seed crops should be harvested when the color of the head/capsule that contains the seeds
changes to brown or gray and the seeds are ready to drop off. (If you wait too long to harvest the
mature seeds, you might lose them since they will start to fall.)
Always put them into a paper bag with the seedhead down.
Then hang and dry in a warm airy place.
When the head is dry, shake seeds to bottom of the bag. Anise, caraway, coriander, and dill are
examples of herbs that produce seeds used in cooking.
4. Roots
Roots of herbs used in cooking should be cut when the leaves of the plant start to turn brown at
the end of the season.
Dig or pull up the plant, shake off the excess dirt and cut off the top of the plant.
Wash the roots, slice them into small pieces, and let them dry in a shady place.
5. Flowers
Flowers that are to be used in dry arrangements should be harvested with a knife, scissors or
pruning shears.
Cut bright, fresh flowers that have just bloomed. Hang in small bunches, tied with elastic, in a
room with plenty of ventilation and no direct sunlight.

6. Freezing

Freezing is another way to preserve herbs. After following the same harvesting rules as in
drying, wash stems and leaves. Then drain them well, put them in containers, and freeze. Herbs
that freeze well include: basil, chervil, chives, dill, fennel, mint, marjoram, parsley, and french
tarragon.
7. Wintering
 Tender perennials such as lemon verbena, bay, rosemary and scented geraniums must be taken
into the house or a warmer location in cold weather. To avoid transplanting shock, grow them in
pots year round, so they can be brought indoors easily in the fall. Potted perennial herb plants
can be saved and moved indoors a few days before frost. First move them to a shaded location
(porch) so they start to adjust gradually to the change. Then, before bringing them indoors,
examine the plants for any insect infestation. Once indoors, treat them as houseplants. Rosemary
is an evergreen and will stay green all year.
Lemon verbena, may drop all its leaves and become dormant; just keep watering it and in the
spring it will send out new leaves. Scented geraniums need a little more care. Before frost, take
all the cuttings you want and root them. (See propagation chapter for details on rooting stem
cuttings). In addition, the entire stock plant can be brought inside.

Cut plants back or they will become very leggy and scraggly. Both rooted cuttings and
established plants need a bright window and temperatures of 55 to 600 F during the winter
months for best results. Even hardy perennial herbs require some care for best results. Once the
plants have been frost killed and the ground has frozen (around Thanksgiving), the perennial
herb garden needs to be put to bed for the winter. Mulch plants heavily with straw, pine needles,
or other available mulch material