_Fetherfewle_ shakes seed. Good against a shaking Feuer, taken in a posset drinke fasting.
_Flower-deluce_, long lasting. Diuide his roots, and set: the roots dryed haue a sweet smell.
_Garlicke_ may be set an handfull distance, two inches deepe, in the edge of your beds. Part the heads into seuerall cloues, and euery cloue set in the latter end of _February_, will increase to a great head before _September_: good for opening, euill for eyes: when the blade is long, fast two & two together, the heads will be bigger.
_Hollyhocke_ riseth high, seedeth and dyeth: the chiefe vse I know is ornament.
_Isop_ is reasonable long lasting: young roots are good set, slips better. A good pot-hearbe.
_Iuly-flowers_, commonly called _Gilly-flowers_, or _Cloue-Iuly-flowers_ (I call them so, because they flowre in _Iuly_) they haue the name of _Cloues_, of their sent. I may well call them the King of flowers (except the Rose) and the best sort of them are called _Queene-Iuly flowers_. I haue of them nine or ten seuerall colours, and diuers of them as big as Roses; of all flowers (saue the Damaske Rose) they are the most pleasant to sight and smell: they last not past three or foure yeeres vnremoued. Take the slips (without shanks) and set any time, saue in extreme frost, but especially at _Michael tide_. Their vse is much in ornament, and comforting the spirits, by the sence of smelling.
_Iuly flowers_ of the wall, or wall-_Iuly-flowers_, wall-flowers, or Bee-flowers, or Winter-_Iuly-flowers_, because growing in the walles, euen in Winter, and good for Bees, will grow euen in stone walls, they will seeme dead in Summer, and yet reuiue in Winter. They yeeld seed plentifully, which you may sow at any time, or in any broken earth, especially on the top of a mud-wall, but moist, you may set the root before it be brancht, euery slip that is not flowr"d will take root, or crop him in Summer, and he will flower in Winter: but his Winter-seed is vntimely. This and Palmes are exceeding good, and timely for Bees.
_Leekes_ yeeld seed the second yeere, vnremoued and die, vnlesse you remoue them, vsuall to eate with salt and bread, as Onyons alwaies greene, good pot-hearb, euill for the eyes.
_Lauendar spike_ would be remoued within 7 yeeres, or eight at the most.
Slips twined as Isop and Sage, would take best at _Michael-tide_. This flower is good for Bees, most comfortable for smelling, except Roses; and kept dry, is as strong after a yeere, and when it is gathered. The water of this is comfortable.
White _Lauendar_ would be remoued sooner.
_Lettice_ yeelds seed the first yeere, and dyes: sow betime, and if you would haue them _Cabbage_ for Sallets, remoue them as you doe _Cabbage_.
They are vsuall in Sallets, and the pot.
_Lillies_ white and red, remoued once in three or foure yeeres their roots yeeld many Sets, like the Garlicke, _Michael-tide_ is the best: they grow high, after they get roote: these roots are good to breake a Byle, as are Mallowes and Sorrell.
_Mallowes_, French or gagged, the first or second yeere, seed plentifully: sow in _March_, or before, they are good for the house-wifes pot, or to breake a bunch.
_Marigolds_ most commonly come of seed, you may remoue the Plants, when they be two inches long. The double Marigold, being as bigge as a little Rose, is good for shew. They are a good Pot-hearbe.
_Oculus Christi_, or Christs eye, seeds and dyes the first or second yeere: you may remoue the yong Plants, but seed is better: one of these seeds put into the eye, within three or foure houres will gather a thicke skinne, cleere the eye, and bolt it selfe forth without hurt to the eye. A good Pot-hearbe.
_Onyons_ are sowne in _February_, they are gathered at _Michael-tide_, and all the Summer long, for Sallets; as also young Parsly, Sage, Chibals, Lettice, sweet Sicily, Fennell, &c. good alone, or with meate as Mutton, &c. for sauce, especially for the pot.
_Parsly_ sow the first yeere, and vse the next yeere: it seedes plentifully, an hearbe of much vse, as sweet Sicily is. The seed and roots are good against the Stone.
_Parsneps_ require and whole plot, they be plentifull and common: sow them in _February_, the Kings (that is in the middle) seed broadest and reddest. Parsneps are sustenance for a strong stomacke, not good for euill eies: When they couer the earth in a drought, to tread the tops, make the rootes bigger.
_Peny-royall_, or Pudding Gra.s.se, creepes along the ground like ground Iuie. It lasts long, like Daisies, because it puts and spreads dayly new roots. Diuide, and remoue the roots, it hath a pleasant taste and smell, good for the pot, or hackt meate, or Haggas Pudding.
_Pumpions_: Set seedes with your finger, a finger deepe, late in _March_, and so soone as they appeare, euery night if you doubt frost, couer them, and water them continually out of a water-pot: they be very tender, their fruit is great and waterish.
_French poppy_ beareth a faire flower, and the Seed will make you sleepe.
_Raddish_ is sauce for cloyed stomacks, as Capers, Oliues, and Cuc.u.mbers, cast the seeds all Summer long here and there, and you shall haue them alwaies young and fresh.
_Rosemary_, the grace of hearbs here in _England_, in other Countries common. To set slips immediately after _Lammas_, is the surest way.
Seede sowne may proue well, so they be sowne in hot weather, somewhat moist, and good earth: for the hearbe, though great, is nesh and tender (as I take it) brought from hot Countries to vs in the cold North: set thinne. It becomes a Window well. The vse is much in meates, more in Physicke, most for Bees.
_Rue, or Hearbe of Grace_, continually greene, the slips are set. It lasts long as Rosemary, Sothernwood, &c. too strong for mine Housewifes pot, vnlesse she will brue Ale therewith, against the Plague: let him not seede, if you will haue him last.
_Saffron_ euery third yeere his roots would be remoued at _Midsummer_: for when all other hearbs grow most, it dyeth. It flowreth at _Michael-tide_, and groweth all Winter: keepe his flowers from birds in the morning, & gather the yellow (or they shape much like Lillies) dry, and after dry them: they be precious, expelling diseases from the heart and stomacke.
_Sauery_ seeds and dyes the first yeere, good for my Housewifes pot and pye.
_Sage_: set slips in _May_, and they grow aye: Let it not seed it will last the longer. The vse is much and common. The Monkish Prouerbe is _tritum_:
_Cur moritur h.o.m.o, c.u.m saluia crescit in horto?_
_Skerots_, roots are set when they be parted, as _Pyonie_, and Flower-deluce at _Michael-tide_: the roote is but small and very sweet.
I know none other speciall vse but the Table.
Sweet _Sicily_, long lasting, pleasantly tasting, either the seed sowne, or the root parted, and remoued, makes increase, it is of like vse with Parsly.
_Strawberries_ long lasting, set roots at _Michael-tide_ or the Spring, they be red, white and greene, and ripe, when they be great and soft, some by _Midsummer_ with vs. The vse is: they will coole my Housewife well, if they be put in Wine or Creame with Sugar.
_Time_, both seeds, slips and rootes are good. If it seed not, it will last three or foure yeeres or more, it smelleth comfortably. It hath much vse: namely, in all cold meats, it is good for Bees.
_Turnep_ is sowne. In the second yeere they beare plenty of seed: they require the same time of sowing that Carrets doe: they are sicke of the same disease that Cabbages be. The roots increaseth much, it is most wholesome, if it be sowne in a good and well tempered earth: Soueraigne for eyes and Bees.
I reckon these hearbs onely, because I teach my Countrey Housewife, not skilfull Artists, and it should be an endlesse labour, and would make the matter tedious to reckon vp _Landtheefe_, _Stocke-Iuly-flowers_, _Charuall_, _Valerian_, _Go-to bed at noone_, _Piony_, _Licoras_, _Tansie_, _Garden mints_, _Germander_, _Centaurie_, and a thousand such physicke Hearbs. Let her first grow cunning in this, and then she may enlarge her Garden as her skill and ability increaseth. And to helpe her the more, I haue set her downe these obseruations.
CHAP. 9.
_Generall Rules in Gardening._
In the South parts Gardening may be more timely, and more safely done, then with vs in _Yorkeshire_, because our ayre is not so fauourable, nor our ground so good.
2 Secondly most seeds shakt, by turning the good earth, are renued, their mother the earth keeping them in her bowels, till the Sunne their Father can reach them with his heat.
3 In setting hearbs, leaue no top more then an handfull aboue the ground, nor more then a foot vnder the earth.
4 Twine the roots of those slips you set, if they will abide it.
Gilly-flowers are too tender.
5 Set moist, and sowe dry.
6 Set slips without shankes any time, except at _Midsummer_, and in frosts.
7 Seeding spoiles the most roots, as drawing the heart and sap from the root.
8 Gather for the pot and medicines, hearbs tender and greene, the sap being in the top, but in Winter the root is best.
9 All the hearbs in the Garden for flowers, would once in seuen yeeres be renued, or soundly watered with puddle water, except Rosemary.