Because man's new knowledge of plant propagation freed a great deal of time he had previously used for survival, he began to find many more uses for plants. One of those uses, gardening, filled the need both for decoration and recreation. A prime example of this pursuit is seen in one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.



Gardening as a pastime continued throughout the centuries. Asian cultures spent hundreds of years developing plant-based cures for diseases. Plants and herbs formed the entire basis for Chinese medicine. In addition to utilizing plants for their curative properties, Asian cultures revered them for their beauty, as well.

Both peonies and maples, found in many of today's gardens, come to us by way of Asia, whose early gardeners created new plant varieties by cross-breeding specimens with both the medicinal and visual qualities they found desirable. While the peony had a beautiful blossom, it was also valued as a treatment for mental illness and demonic possession.

While the royalty of the Middle Ages had flower-filled gardens, the commoners continued to grow plants primarily for food, while the clergy and the elite tried growing healing herbs. Warriors who returned from the Middle East came back with exotic spices and herbs they began to use as food seasonings. These plants were soon grown along with medicinal herbs in gardens.

Gardening technology continued to improve throughout the centuries. Nobles of the 16th century grew elaborate flower gardens. Gardening enthusiast Marie Antoinette ordered that greenhouses be built and botanical gardens grown. Her court followed suit, and soon the French became known for their elaborate gardens. While the Revolution changed that somewhat, English gardeners continued and expanded upon the tradition and sparked the Victorian gardening craze.

English landowners grew their gardens both to flaunt their wealth and to have an outdoor entertainment space. Roses and other flowers were grown extensively in these gardens, and interesting plant specimens from faraway lands were collected in greenhouses and conservatories. New strains of common plants, such as begonias and daffodils, were created in these environments.

Before long the nobility deemed it fashionable to add ruins and follies to their gardens. To make the structures more interesting, they created intricate mazes from hedge plants. This art led to topiary plants, which were boxwoods and other evergreen bushes pruned to resemble different animals and shapes.

The gardens in colonial America started out as being a bit more practical than their English counterparts. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers were passionate farmers. The early Americans followed suit, growing large vegetable gardens and fruit orchards. Greenhouses and conservatories still existed, though not as abundantly as in England because the wealthy tended to either live in cities with less acreage for gardening or on plantations devoted to growing cash crops.

American gardening trends changed when the Industrial Revolution created a new leisure class who expanded upon the standard formal shrubs and rolling lawns by adding elaborate fountains, extensive plantings and greenhouses filled with exotic plants. A prime example was DuPont's gardens at Winterthur.

As medications like penicillin were developed, the use of healing plants fell by the wayside. Herbal medicine has only recently enjoyed renewed interest, with healing plants occupying increasingly larger spaces in today's gardens.

Modern gardeners are also buying greater quantities of landscaping plants and are skipping cruises and resort vacations in favor of enjoying their home garden retreats. With new and better plant varieties being developed regularly, gardeners are hitting nurseries and buying moth orchids for example with renewed vigor in search of strong, healthy plants to grow at home.

If you would like to take part in a tradition that has spanned hundreds of years, try adding a few plants to your house or yard.