French and English Gardens of the Middle Ages
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Home Family -> subcategory Gardening.
French and English Gardens of the Middle Ages
Overview
The "Roman de la Rose" offers a vivid depiction of French and English gardens during the Middle Ages. Primarily written by Guillaume de Loris in the early 13th century, it was likely familiar in England before Chaucer translated it into English. This work provides detailed descriptions and illustrations of the era's pleasure gardens.
Garden Features
These gardens typically featured enclosed spaces defined by walls and moats, with subdivisions made of latticework. Central to the design was the "flowery mede," an area shaded by fruit trees and centered around a fountain. Stone-bordered beds contained clipped shrubs and smaller plants, seen from various perspectives in old manuscripts.
One notable illustration, from a 14th-century Flemish manuscript housed in the British Museum, depicts the entire garden as an elaborate space. A crenellated wall, surrounded by a moat, encloses the area. Wooden trellis fences, topped by decorative elements like a peacock, delineate subdivisions. A copper fountainhead, featuring water spouting from lions’ mouths, is located in the left section, with water channeling into a circular basin and a marble channel. Surrounding the fountain, thick grass is scattered with daisies, providing a soft seating area for people enjoying music and merriment.
Historical Context
The term "garden," derived from words like zerd, garth, and the French "jardin," originally implied a walled, roofless space filled with cultivated plants such as herbs, grass, or fruit trees. These enclosures offered protection and privacy, making them perfect for confidential discussions away from the bustling castle life.
Early fences were often made of woven osiers. More decorative options included green-painted rails or pickets. Later gardens favored hedges over walls, using plants like privet (possibly named for its role in ensuring privacy), thorn, sweetbrier, and yew. Moats, home to fish and swans, were also common features.
In summary, medieval gardens, as depicted in the "Roman de la Rose," were rich in detail and served as private havens for recreation and conversation.
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