Annuals and Perennials - Brief History

Brief History

Flower gardening as we know it, started shortly after domestication of wild plants, as mankind went from nomadic hunter/gatherer to settled farmer. Early gardens were based primarily on food and herbal needs. Ornamentation of homes with flowering plants can be traced to early Roman times as evidenced from frescos (early renaissance paintings) unearthed in Pompeii. Roman and Greek homes generally featured an interior courtyard with garden beds ladened with herbal and floral plants. As plants were identified and qualities bestowed upon them, they were traded amongst countries, similar to the way spices and other foods were handled. As conquering nations moved throughout Europe, they took their native plants with them. By the 1600's in Europe, gardens began to feature prominently into upper class homes, usually in a grand style. By the 1700's roses and other valuable flowering plants dominated the "pot gardens" or courtyard gardens of both the upper and middle class homes. During the 1800's, flower gardening reached a high point, world wide, as rare plants were being introduced from newly discovered parts of the world. Hybridizing was in full swing, and landscape architects / garden designers were recognized as a profession.

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