Ornamental plants Gerda van Uffelen The plants depicted in the Libri Picturati together form a garden on gardens, where they grow quite well as a decoration' ('Nascuntur paper. In order to find out what the most cherished garden plants sponte in parietibus vetustis ac tectis tegulaceis: sed et transferuntur in were at the time of the production of the Libri, the collection has been hortos viridaridq.: imo et in fenestris ac hortos pensiles, vbi ad corona­ studied from different angles: the annotations on the ca. 960 sheets menta diligentissime fouentur1. No less than six forms of Brompton of the core collection, observation of the sheets with variations of stock (Matthiola incana) are depicted on A2S.oo6; they are said to known garden plants, and the later additions, of which the majority 'be grown in gardens for their beauty' ('Seruntur in hortis ad corona­ are garden plants. menta1. Of the forms of Dame's violet (Hesperis matronalis, A2S.007) is noted that they are 'grown everywhere in gardens, as adornment' Annotations ('Seruntur passim in hortis, ad coronamenta'). Of Honesty (Lunaria On more than 200 sheets plants are mentioned as growing in gardens. annua, A2S.oo8)A2S.oo8) is only noted that it grows in gardens. Many of them are food plants: crops, vegetables and fruits, and The pink family (CaryophyJlaceae) also contains some popular six­ treated in the separate chapter on this subject. Others are herbs and teenth-century garden plants. Of this family, some members were medicinal or technical plants, and as such treated in the chapters grown in pots ('in figlinis1. This annotation is found on three sheets devoted to these useful plants - although many of them may also in the Libri Picturati, one of them Sweet basil (see the chapter on have been grown for their beauty. medical and other useful plants), implicating that sixteenth-century Some ofthe plants grew spontaneously in gardens, and obviously plant lovers were certainly as much captivated by sweet-smelling were not welcome: the weeds, such as Goutweed (Aegopodium plants as many of today's gardeners. Various cultivars of Clove pink podagraria, A18.036): 'Nascitur plerumq. sponte in hortis et viridarijs, (Dianthus caryophyJlus, A25.010,A2S.010, Plate ,) 'grow well in the garden, but vbi sese ad molestiam vsq. latissime propagat' ('usually grows sponta­ also thrive in pots, which may even be taken into the dining room' neously in gardens and parks, where it is a pest, as it spreads widely'). ('Seruntur studiose in hortis,fouenturq. in figlinis, quibus in ipsa etiam Other plants were more difficult to grow, and sometimes instructions triclinia transferuntur} Two species of Pink (Petrorhagia prolifera and were given as to soil, light, or time of sowing, for example with the Dianthus d. sylvestris, A2S.015V)A2S.01SV) are said to 'grow in gardens and pots' Common fig (Ficus carica, A2o.091):A2o.091): 'Locis calidis et insolatis delectatur: ('seruntur in hortis et figlinis1. Other members of this family, Rose seritur item in hortis et vinetis' ('it prefers warm and sunny places; campion (Lychnis or Silene coronaria) and Corn cockle (Agrostemma it grows in gardens and vineyards'). githago) are depicted on A2S.020A2S.020 - of the Rose campion, both the Those garden plants without any obvious technical, medical, or culinary pink and the white form are depicted and noted to be a garden plant use were either grown because of their looks, or out of curiosity. ('ad coronamenta1; with the Corn cockle, a cornfield weed with possibly The first reason - because of their beauty - is indicated by the poisonous seeds, is noted that it is depicted because the flowers annotation 'ad coronamentam' ('as adornment') are so much alike ('GITHAGINIS HOS, ob sim litudinem quam cum Violets and pansies are depicted on several sheets in volume A25A2S Iychnidum flo rib. habet hic appictus1. Several other members of this (1-3) and on A21.o83. On sheet A25.001,A2S.001, (Fig.(Fig. ,) the Sweet violet (Viola family are depicted in the same volume of the Libri, such as Sweet odorata) and three cultivars are depicted. The annotations tell us Willam (Dianthus barbatus, A2S.009V, 13'3 & 14)'4) and several species of that these four plants are grown for their beauty in gardens, but Campion (Silene). that the fifth, the Teesdale violet (Viola d. rupestris) does not smell The buttercup family or Ranunculaceae also counts many garden plants (implicating that the others do have a sweet smell), and only grows among its members. One example is Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris), on the borders of poor fields ('Prim~ quatuor [... J seruntur in hortis of which many forms are depicted on A25.028-30VA2S.028-30V and A21.0S3.A21 .0S3. ad corona menta. Vltima vera exilis et inodora, nascitur in macrorum The annotations on A25.029A2S.029 tell us that they 'grow everywhere in et sterilium agrorum marginibus1. Sheet A2s.oo2A2S.002 shows three colour the wild' ('Proueniunt alicubi sponte1. but 'in our regions they are forms of the Wild pansy (Viola tricolor) and a plant of the Field pansy often grown for their beauty' ('Apud nos vera in hortis tantummodo ad (Viola arvensis), both of which are said to be grown in gardens 'ad corona menta coluntur1 corona menta'. In two more cases it is expressly noted that a plant is grown for its The cabbage family (Brassicaceae or Cruciferae) apparently contains beauty: with a plumose form of Cockscomb (Celosia argentea 'Plumosa', many old-fashioned garden plants that would now be called a A25.o6o)A2S.o6o) and with Pheasant's eye (Narcissus poeticus, A30.040). cottage plant in gardeners' circles. Of the Wallflower (Erysimum In two cases, plants are indicated as elegant: of Jacob's ladder cheiri, A2SA2S.00S),.00S), the single and a double-flowered form are depicted: (Polemonium coeruleum, A21.093) it is noted that 'it grows in our 'they grow spontaneously on old walls and tiled roofs, but they garden, due to the elegant flowers that it offers in the months of June are taken to gardens and parks, even to window sills and hanging and July' ('Seritur nobis in hortis,flosculorum quos mense luniofunio lulioq.fulioq. elegantes profert, gratia} Bats-in-the-belfry (Campanula trachelium, A25.037)A2S.037) is said to 'occur here and there in dry fields, but that it is Plate 1 (A2S.01O)(A2S.OlO) Clove pink (Dianthus caryophyllus),caryophyflusJ, in several also taken into the garden because of its elegant flowers' ('Prouenit shades of pink alicubi sponte in pratis aridioribus: sed ob florum elegantiam in hortos 135'35 .