The herball

Generall historie of plantes

1633

Ec/1633/G [De Beer Special Collections]

Printed by Adam Islip, Joice Norton and Richard Whitakers

John Gerard's reputation rests principally upon his Herball or generall historie of plants (1597). It was not original. It was based on the work of Rembert Dodoens and de L'Obel. It does however contain original gardening advice, based on Gerard's personal experience in his own garden at Holburn, London, and as the curator of the College of Physicians' garden. After his death in 1612, the apothecary Thomas Johnson revised the herbal, correcting its mistakes and replacing most of the ‘borrowed' illustrations. The Johnson edition appeared in 1633.