I Know a Bank Where the Wild Thyme Blows

Oberon: I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night.
— A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2, Scene 2

Note: Today is the birthday of William Shakespeare. He was born on this day in 1564.

The Bard's works are loaded with references to plants and gardens.

Naturally, roses were linked to the Tudor dynasty as well as the flower’s exceptional beauty and fragrance. Not surprisingly, roses are referred to around a hundred times by Shakespeare.  

The Lenhardt Library at the Chicago Botanic Garden hosts a Shakespeare Day on Oct. 15, featuring Botanical Shakespeare.…