In the seventeenth century, even the most elaborate and fashionable gardens had areas set aside for growing herbs, fruit, vegetables and flowers for domestic use, while those of more modest establishments were vital to the survival of the household. This was also a period of exciting introductions of plants from overseas. Using manuscript household manuals, recipe books and printed herbals, this book takes the reader on a tour of the productive garden and of the various parts of the house – kitchens

and service rooms, living rooms and bedrooms – to show how these

plants were used for cooking and brewing, medicines and cosmetics, in the making and care of clothes, and finally to keep rooms fresh, fragrant and decorated. Recipes used by seventeenth-century households for preparations such

as flower syrups, snail water and wormwood ale are also included. A brief herbal gives descriptions of plants that are familiar today, others not so well known, such as the herbs used for dyeing and brewing, and those that held a particular cultural importance in the seventeenth century. Featuring exquisite coloured illustrations from John Gerard's herbal of 1597 as well as prints, archival material and manuscripts, this book provides an intriguing and original focus on the domestic history of Stuart England.

在十七世纪，即使是最精致、最时髦的花园，也会留出专门的区域用于种植草药、水果、蔬菜和花卉，供家庭使用，而这些设置对家庭的生存至关重要。这也是一个从海外引进植物的激动人心的时期。本书利用家庭手册手稿、食谱和印刷的草药，带领读者参观生产性花园和房屋的各个部分，如厨房、服务室、起居室和卧室，以展示这些植物如何用于烹饪和酿造、药品和化妆品、衣服的制作和护理，以及保持房间的新鲜、芳香和装饰。书中还包括17世纪家庭使用的配方，如花糖浆、蜗牛水和艾草酒。草药部分简短地描述了今天人们所熟悉的植物，还有一些鲜为人知的植物，如用于染色和酿酒的草药，以及那些在17世纪具有特殊文化意义的植物。本书采用了约翰·杰拉德（John Gerard）1597年草药的精美彩色插图，以及印刷品、档案材料和手稿，为了解英国斯图亚特王朝的国内历史提供了一个耐人寻味的新颖视角。