Define Influence of Gardening on the Development of Botany?
The influence of gardening on the development of botany may be seen in the work of John Gerard (1545-1612). Gerard published an account in 1696 which contained over 1033 species of the plants growing in his garden. He published his greatest work 'The Herbal' or 'General Historia of Plants' in 1597 illustrated with over 1800 wood-cuts of plants. The plants he described were arranged in three books, the first included grasses, second all herbs for medicine and sweet smelling, the third one dealt with bushes, fruit-bearing plants, resins, and mushrooms. The result of this was a rough classification, based on superficial resemblances and upon the relationship of plant with man.
All of these works, in which the botanical descriptions were subordinated to the medicinal details of the' plants, were overloaded with the widest speculations regarding their supposed medicinal virtues, and often contained much that would be dismissed today as pure fantasy. Gradually, however, a crude system came into being, based partly upon rough morphology and partly upon the medicinal characteristics of Plants.