| The practise of herb-gardening can be traced as | | | | Approximately 80 percent of the worlds |
| far back as 4000 years ago in Egypt. Herb | | | | population rely on traditional plant based medicine, |
| growing was often associated with temples, which | | | | and 25 percent of prescription drugs contain plant |
| required herbs for daily worship and ritual. Queen | | | | extract. The USA's interest in medicinal herbs has |
| Hatshepsut (d. 1482BC imported frankincense | | | | increased by 100 percent since 1995 and similar |
| (Boswellia sacra) and myrrh ( Commiphora | | | | increases have been seen in other countries |
| myrrha) from Arabia, and cornflowers ( | | | | across the globe.A resurgence of interest has |
| Centaurea cyanus), poppies (Papaver spp), | | | | meant that consumers are finding herbs in the |
| mandrakes (Mandragora spp), figs (Ficus spp), and | | | | food industry, dietary supplements, teas, skin and |
| lotuses (Nymphaea lotus) appear in many wall | | | | hair-care products and aromatics. Culinary herbs |
| paintings. From as early as 305AD herb-gardening | | | | have exploded into every kitchen thanks to the |
| was second only to prayer in the monastic | | | | likes of Jamie Oliver and other TV cookery |
| regime. Monasteries were largely self-sufficient in | | | | chefs.The lives of people and herbs are so closely |
| produce, placing special emphasis on herbs to heal | | | | linked that we often forget the power they |
| the sick. Herbs were also used to flavor a | | | | posses. The Swiss physician and alchemist |
| vegetarian diet as well as the brewing and | | | | Paracelus (c.1493-1541) wrote that " All |
| distillation of ale, wine and liqueurs such as | | | | substances are poisons; there is none which is not |
| Benedictine, and the cosmetic Carmelite water | | | | poison. The right dose differentiates a poison and |
| which was based on Melissa officinalis. In the 16th | | | | a remedy." Plants like Opium Poppy (Papver |
| century, herb gardens were planted by the | | | | somniferum) and Coca (Erythroxylum coca) have |
| universities for the purpose of teaching botany | | | | been the cause of many wars throughout history. |
| and medicine, subjects that were inextricably | | | | Life saving plants like Quinine (Cinchona Species) |
| linked until separated by advances in science | | | | have prevented and treated malaria since the era |
| during the 18th century. Physic gardens as they | | | | of colonial expansion. Meadowsweet (Filipendula |
| were commonly known were to be found at | | | | ulmaria) provided the basis for acetylsalicylic acid |
| many universities throughout Europe. Herbs were | | | | produced in 1899, and was named aspirin after |
| planted in alphabetical order and as new species | | | | (Spirea ulmaria) which was the old name for |
| were brought back by colonial explorers and | | | | (Filipendula ulmaria). Aspirin is the world's most |
| botanical knowledge expanded, physic gardens | | | | widely used drug.People all over the world have |
| housed a far greater range of plants and became | | | | picked, uprooted and used herbs since ancient |
| the botanic gardens we know today.Even though | | | | times. Of the 250,000 species of flowering plants |
| herbs have their roots in centuries gone by they | | | | in the world, more than 20,000 are recorded as |
| are not a thing of the past. Thanks to the hippies | | | | herbs, and in these numbers lies our greatest |
| of the 1960's and 1970's herbs have made a | | | | hope of finding new drugs to combat disease. |
| serious come back in the last decade. | | | | |