What is a Shakespeare garden?
A Shakespeare garden is a collection of living plants that are mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays and poetry. The Bard mentioned more than 200 specific kinds of plants – vegetables, herbs, flowers, trees, shrubs and grasses! The most famous Shakespeare garden is at Shakespeare’s home, New Place, in Stratford-upon-Avon where the Bard grew up, bought property and retired before his death in 1616.
Who Planted and Takes Care of the Bard's Garden?
The Bard’s Garden began in 2017 as a horticultural project designed, planted, and maintained by local garden writer and educator Rhonda Nowak for the FNC’s Farm and Food Program. Rhonda writes a weekly gardening column called the “Literary Gardener” for the Mail Tribune newspaper in the Rogue Valley, Oregon.
What’s in the Bard’s Garden?
The Bard’s Garden includes five gardens that feature more than 100 different kinds of trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs and vegetables in five of Shakespeare’s plays (from front to back of the garden): Hamlet, The Winter’s Tale, Love’s Labor’s Lost, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Romeo and Juliet. The entrance also features the Temple Rose Garden from Henry VI, Part 1.
The Bard’s Garden
Temple Rose Garden
- White Rose of York (Rosa alba semi-plena)
- Red Rose of Lancaster (Rosa gallica officinalis)
- Tudor Rose (Rosa damascena versicolor)
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Hamlet Spiral Garden
- Columbine (Aquilegia)
- Common rue (Ruta graveolens)
- Crowflower (Lychnis flos-cuculi)
- English daisy (Bellis perennis)
- Flax (Linum)
- Grass (Pennisetum setaceum rubrum, Calamagrostis acutiflora)
- Long purple (Orchis latifolia)
- Nettle (Lamium)
- Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)
- Pansy (Viola tricolor)
- Plum (Prunus domestica)
- Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
- Provence rose (Rosa centifolia)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
- Violet (Viola odorata)
- Willow (Salix purpurea ‘Nana’)
- Wormwood (Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’)
- Yew (Taxus brevifolia)
Watch the Video
The Winter’s Tale Garden
- Carnation (Dianthus)
- Common rue (Ruta graveolens)
- Crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis)
- Currant (Ribes nigrum)
- “Date” palm (Butia capitata)
- Daffodil (Narcissus)
- English ivy (Hedera helix)
- Flax (Linum)
- Fleur-de-lis (Iris)
- Garlic (Allium sativum)
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
- Lavender (Lavendula)
- Lily (Lilium)
- Mint (Menthe)
- Nettle (Lamium)
- Oak (Quercus robur ‘Skyrocket’)
- Oxlip (Primula elatior)
- Pear tree (Pyrus)
- Pea (Pisum sativum and Lathyrus odoratus)
- Pine tree (Pinus strobus)
- English marigold (Calendula officinalis)
- Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
- Prune/plum (Prunus ‘Italian’)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus)
- Summer savory (Satureja hortensis)
- Sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana)
- Violet (Viola odorata)
Watch the Video
Love’s Labor’s Lost Garden
“Curious-knotted garden” borders
- Dwarf English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’)
- Cotton lavender (Santolina rosmarinifolia ‘Lemon Fizz’)
- Crimson pygmy barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Atropurpurea Nana’)
Other plants
- Cedar (Cedrus)
- Columbine (Aquilegia)
- Corn (Zea mays)
- Crabapple (Malus)
- Cuckoo-buds (Ranunculus)
- Daisy (Bellis perennis and Leucanthemum ×superbum)
- “Date” palm (Butia capitata)
- Elder (Sambuca canadensis and ‘Black Lace’)
- Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens)
- Ladysmock (Cardamine pratensis)
- Lemon (Citrus limon)
- Lily (Lilium)
- Mint (Menthe)
- Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)
- Oak (Quercus)
- Oats (Northern sea oats) (Chasmanthium latifolium)
- Pea (Pisum sativum and Lathyrus odoratus)
- Plantain (Plantago major)
- Roses (Rosa damascena, Rosa grandiflora)
- Violet (Viola odorata and viola tricolor)
- Willow (Salix)
- Wormwood (Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ and ‘Silvermound’)
Watch the Video
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Garden
- Apple (Malus)
- Apricot (Prunus armeniaca)
- Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
- Cherry (Prunus cerasus)
- Crabapple (Malus)
- Corn (Zea mays)
- Cowslip (Primula veris)
- Dian’s bud (Artemisia)
- Dewberry (Rubus ursinus)
- Eglantine rose (Rosa rubiginosa)
- Fig (Ficus carica)
- Garlic (Allium sativum)
- Grass (Cortaderia selloana)
- Grapes (Vitis vinifera ‘Glenora’)
- Hazelnut (Corylus)
- Hemp (Cannabis sativa)
- Honeysuckle (Lonicera)
- Leek (Allium ampeloprasum)
- Lily (Lilium)
- Mulberry (Morus)
- Oak (Quercus)
- Oats (Northern sea oats) (Chasmanthium latifolium)
- Onion (Allium cepa)
- Oxlips (Primula elatior)
- Pansy (Viola tricolor)
- Pea (Pisum sativum and Lathyrus odoratus)
- Roses (Rosa moschata)
- Thyme (Thymus)
- Violet (Viola odorata)
Watch the Video
Romeo and Juliet Garden
- Aconite (Aconitum)
- Common rue (Ruta graveolens)
- “Date” palm (Butia capitata)
- Hazelnut (Corylus)
- Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum)
- Medlar (Mespilus germanica)
- Pear (Pyrus)
- Pepper (Piper nigrum)
- Pinks (Dianthus)
- Plantain (Plantago major)
- Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
- Quince (Cydonia oblonga)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Roses (Rosa)
- Rush (Juncus)
- Willow (Salix purpurea ‘Nana’)
- Wormwood (Artemisia)
- Yew (Taxus brevifolia)
Watch the Video
