Book Description

"The fairies have almost deserted us, but perhaps they will one day come back to our gardens and teach us that there is something true, though beyond what we can know, in the old astrological lore of the close secret communion between stars and flowers. Do not flowers seem to reflect in microscopic form those glorious flowers which deck the firmament of heaven? In many flowers there is something so star-like that almost unconsciously our minds connect them with the luminaries in the great expanse above us, and from this it seems but a short step to the belief that there is between them a secret communion which is past our understanding." The Old English Herbals, originally published in 1922, is a book about, in the author's words, "that fascinating and somewhat neglected branch of garden literature--the old English Herbals." At the time it was written, herb gardens were scarce; though the author's influence and books contributed to the growth we see in both herb and vegetable gardening today. Still of relevance and interest to modern gardeners, the book includes descriptions of Anglo-Saxon herbals, early printed herbals, herbals from "the New World," the history of the last great English herbalist John Parkinson, and late-seventeenth century herbals. "Offers a careful review of all the important herbals from the eighth to the seventeenth century." -Susan Wittig Albert, "China Bayles' Book of Days: 365 Celebrations of the Mystery, Myth, and Magic of Herbs From The World of Pecan Springs" "A careful and beautiful work on that curiously neglected branch of garden literature, the old English Herbals. It is all very fascinating. Readers who already possess Miss Rohde's first book, 'A Garden of Herbs,' will find here the same delicate perception for detail, and the same charming enthusiasm that attracted them there.....We cannot close this inadequate review of a notable volume without a word of praise for the admirable exhaustive bibliographies." -The Bookman, Volume 63, 1922