Physic garden

– **History:**
– Predecessors of modern botanical gardens were medieval physic gardens.
– Gardens in the past had sections like herbularis and hortus medicus.
– Pope Nicholas V allocated part of Vatican grounds for a garden of medicinal plants in 1447.
– William Turner established physic gardens in Cologne, Wells, and Kew.
– The 1597 Herball by John Gerard was a comprehensive catalogue of physic gardens in Europe.

– **Founding and Development:**
– Many early botanic gardens were started by medical professionals.
– The garden in Oxford, founded in 1632, is one of the oldest.
– The Chelsea Physic Garden was established by the Apothecaries in 1673.
– Philip Miller, author of The Gardeners Dictionary, was a notable Director at Chelsea Physic Garden.
– The position of Keeper of the Physic Garden in Edinburgh was held by the Professor of Botany by 1676.

– **Significance and Influence:**
– Physic gardens were crucial in promoting the teaching of botany.
– The Herball by John Gerard was the first printed catalogue of plants in physic gardens.
– Physic gardens played a key role in the development of academic botanical gardens.
– Physic gardens were instrumental in the study of medicinal plants and their properties.
– These gardens contributed to the advancement of botanical knowledge and plant taxonomy.

– **References:**
– The American Medical Association published “A History of Botanic Gardens” in 1915.
– Arthur W. Hill’s work in the Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden discusses the history and functions of botanic gardens.
– Edward M. Holmes explored the relationship between horticulture and medicine in the Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society.
– “Great Botanical Gardens of the World” by Edward Hyams and William MacQuitty offers insights into renowned botanical gardens.
– Albert Forbes Sieveking’s “Gardens Ancient and Modern” provides a summary of garden literature, including the evolution of botanic gardens.

– **Legacy and Continuation:**
– Physic gardens have left a lasting legacy in the field of botany.
– The establishment of physic gardens paved the way for academic botanical gardens.
– Many early botanic gardens were centers for the study of medicinal plants.
– The tradition of physic gardens continues to influence botanical research and education.
– Physic gardens have contributed significantly to the preservation and study of plant species.