Gardens



Medieval gardens each had very important similar characteristics. One of them was that they often incorporated water in some way, though this was scarce in medieval Islamic areas. Water for non-food related purposes was prohibited to everyone but the very affluent. The warmer the country the more popular gardens were there at the time. Most of the poorer citizens had small, flat plots of land for which they used only for growing food and and fruits. However, the rich or more affluent citizens had large to very large plots of multi- grade gardens which almost always incorporated fountains or wells in them, usually in the center of the garden. Rich citizens had enclosed "courtyard" gardens which were often some what shady and had little to no view of the outside world when inside, these types of gardens were also found on the grounds of monasteries.

Gardens during the medieval time period only consisted of plants that also had medicinal purposes. The gardens in monasteries and on the grounds of the rich nearly always had tall hedges around them to act like a sort of "wall". Also, the gardens on the grounds of monasteries usually had paths formed into the shape of a cross, in the center would usually be a fountain or water well. In these gardens, the monks at the local monastery would treat the sick and help the poor citizens of the village. To aid with this, only plants which had a medicinal purpose were ever planted in the gardens, very rarely, and only on the grounds of the rich were regular plants and flowers grown. One theory about why people during the middle ages enclosed their gardens was to protect the plants from being eaten by animals or stolen by thieves. Used only by the rich and religious for recreation, the average persons garden during the middle ages was strictly used only to keep the family going. Enclosed gardens often had raised beds filled with plants and vegetables. Shrubs were trimmed neatly into low hedges and sometimes were shaped into intricate designs requiring a large amount of skill and of course, time. These raised beds inside the gardens were normally very neat and consisted (except for the rich or the monks/nuns) of the very bare necessities. Basically everybody had a garden and it became a custom for the rich (but not the monks or nuns) to have a gardener that took care of some parts of the garden, though other parts of the garden would be reserved for the lady of the house. 

Overall the garden has evolved into a more modern and visually complex experience. Gardens are no longer used by the masses as the main source of food for their families. People during Medieval times had a much harder time growing and irrigating their plants. We can be thankful for the progression of the modern garden today.

Works Cited CJK
 *  “Gardens.” Medieval World. Ed. Sally MacEarchern. Vol. 4. Danbury, CT: Grolier Educational, 2001. 24-25. Print.
 *  “Gardens.” The Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia for Students. Ed. William Chester Jordan. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1996. 143-146. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 Mar. 2010.
 *  **"**Mary." Butchart Gardens, Victoria, B.C. Flickr, 14 June 2005. Web. 9 Apr. 2010. .