Physic Gardens

loth June, 1658. I went to see the Medical Garden at

Westminster, well stored with plants, under Morgan, a

very skillful botanist.

Diarist John Evelyn perhaps sought medical relief in the Westminster Physic Garden in 1658.  Edward Morgan, like many modern day herbalists, explored a foreign place for medicinal plants.  In this case, Wales.  There are currently at least two physic gardens in England that have their beginnings in the 17^th century, the Chelsea Physic Garden (1673), and the University of Oxford Botanic Garden (1621).   In Scotland, Edinburgh has the Sibbald Physic Garden, which has roots dating to 1656.  What became Sibbald was originally created by the Incorporation of Barbers and Surgeons. Sir Walter Scott mentions a physic garden in “The Surgeon’s Daughter”:

‘On the morning after this gay evening, the two young men were labouring

together in a plot of ground behind Stevenlaw's Land, which the Doctor

had converted into a garden, where he raised, with a view to pharmacy as

well as botany, some rare plants, which obtained the place from the

vulgar the sounding name of the Physic Garden. [Footnote: The Botanic

Garden is so termed by the vulgar of Edinburgh.] Mr. Gray's pupils

readily complied with his wishes, that they would take some care of this

favourite spot, to which both contributed their labours, after which

Hartley used to devote himself to the cultivation of the kitchen garden,

which he had raised into this respectability from a spot not excelling a

common kail-yard, while Richard Middleman did his utmost to decorate

with flowers and shrubs a sort of arbour, usually called Miss Menie's

bower.’