Hall's Croft Garden · In Shakespeare's play 'Hamlet', Ophelia mourns her father. She is driven mad...

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Hall's Croft GardenInformationFull Symbol Version

We hope everyone can enjoy their visit.

Welcome to Hall's Croft Garden.

www.shakespeare.org

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There are herbs growing in the garden.

John Hall used the herbs in his remedies.

Shakespeare mentions the trees and flowers in his plays.

The garden has changed since John and Susanna lived here.

There was an area for flowers and herbs and a kitchen garden.

There was also an orchard.

Garden


The garden was designed in 1950 after the restoration of the house.

The design is similar to gardens during Shakespeare's time.

It also feels like a modern garden.

There are lots of familiar plants.

Design

In the middle of the garden is the L-shaped Mulberry tree.

The tree is about 300 years old and previously collapsed.

Mulberry Tree


Gardeners helped the tree.

The tree was propped up with bricks.

King James I planted mulberry trees in the UK for silk worms.

Silk worms like the leaves of the Mulberry tree.

Silk was a very expensive material.

Mulberries turn red during summer.

Mulberries were used in expensive drinks and desserts.


I'll graff it with you, and then I shall graff it with a medlar.

Then it will be the earliest fruit i' th' country; for you'll be rotten ere

you be half ripe, and that's the right virtue of the medlar.

(III.ii.116-119)

In Shakespeare's play 'As you like it', Rosalind insults Touchstone:

In other words:

Touchstone will rot in his grave before he is ripe.

Romans brought Medlar trees to the UK.

Medlars are fruit that should only be eaten when rotten.

The rotting process is called bletting and happens in winter.

Medlar Tree


Lime trees drip sap.

The gardeners must cut (or pollard) the trees every two years.

Pollarding stops mess on the pavement over the wall.

Lime Trees

Shakespeare mentions this in the play 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'.

The manager of the Garter Inn asks Bardolph to be his bartender.

He wishes to see Bardolph's skill at pouring beer and wine.

He demands that Bardolph 'let see froth and lime.'


During the 1600s hyssop was prescribed as a strong laxative.

It was dangerous to swallow and was only mixed by a professional.

John Hall treated Mistress Bettes of Ludlow.

She had a cough, difficulty breathing and a lung infection.

John mixed hyssop and other herbs for Mistress Bettes to drink.

Hyssop


Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners;

so that if we will plant nettles, or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up

the thyme, supply it with one gender of herbs, or distract it with many,

either to have it sterile with idleness or manured with industry.

(I.iii)

In the play 'Othello', Shakespeare confirms the popularity of hyssop.

Iago tells Rodrigo:

Iago compares the human body to a garden.

He tells Iago everything in a garden needs to be controlled.

He says our emotions have to be controlled too.


Lavender was prescribed for headaches and sluggishness.

It was also prescribed for cramps and convulsions.

It was applied to the temples to treat passions of the heart and fainting.

Lavender

John Hall treated Elizabeth Randolph of Wood Bevington.

He mixed a lavender drink to cure her fever, dropsy and jaundice.

Lavender was used in the household as decoration.

Lavender was used so rooms and linen cupboards smelled nice.


Hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram,

The marigold, that goes to bed wi'the sun

And with him rises weeping. These flowers

Of middlesummer, and I think they are given

To men of middle age.

(IV.iv)

Lavender is mentioned in Shakespeare's play 'The Winter's Tale'.

Perdita offers guests lavender garlands at a sheep shearing festival:


As Sweet as Balm, as soft as air, as gentle!

(V.ii)

Lemon balm is mentioned in the play 'Antony and Cleopatra'.

Cleopatra compares snake poison to lemon balm:

Lemon balm was used to treat stomachs and cramps.

John Hall treated Christian Bass of Southam.

John treated stomach pains by mixing lemon balm and other herbs.

Lemon Balm


Rosemary in wine helped head colds, memory and drowsiness.

It also helped improve the voice.

Rosemary

John Hall treated Lady Ester Rous for convulsions of the mouth.

He mixed ash and burnt rosemary with white wine.

The ointment was applied to her neck.


There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray, love remember.

(IV.v)

In Shakespeare's play 'Hamlet', Ophelia mourns her father.

She is driven mad and mourns him with a list of plants.

She wants her brother to remember who killed her father:

Hall's Croft Garden · In Shakespeare's play 'Hamlet', Ophelia mourns her father. She is driven mad...

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