A Simpling We Shall Go: Elias Ashmole’s Botanical Adventure

On This Day
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:

Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode.

June 6, 1648

On this day, dear readers, we find ourselves transported to a time when the pursuit of botanical knowledge was as thrilling as any modern-day adventure.

Picture, if you will, the esteemed Elias Ashmole, that most intriguing of English gentlemen – antiquary, politician, and dabbler in the mystical arts of astrology and alchemy – embarking on a most curious expedition.

Ashmole, whose life's work would later grace the halls of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum (oh, what tales those tomes could tell!), penned in his diary a most illuminating entry. Allow me to share with you his very words, preserved like a pressed flower between the pages of history:

Having entered upon a study this day about three o'clock was the first time I went a simpling; Dr: Carter of Reding and Mr. Watling an Apothecary there, accompanying me.

Now, my dear garden enthusiasts, let us delve into the delightful world of "simpling." This charming term, as quaint as a cottage garden, refers to the art of botanizing – the gathering of "simples" or medicinal plants.

Can you not imagine the scene?

Ashmole, accompanied by the good Dr. Carter and Mr. Watling, the apothecary, venturing forth into the lush English countryside, their eyes keenly searching for Nature's own remedies.

One can almost smell the fragrant herbs crushed underfoot, hear the rustle of leaves as our intrepid trio examines each promising specimen. What treasures might they have uncovered? Perhaps the soothing chamomile, the invigorating peppermint, or the healing calendula?

As we tend our own gardens today, let us pause a moment to appreciate the legacy of these early plant hunters. Their curiosity and dedication laid the groundwork for our modern understanding of herbal medicine and botany.

Might we not, in our own way, go "a simpling" in our backyards and community gardens, rediscovering the ancient wisdom that lies dormant in every leaf and petal?

So, dear readers, the next time you pluck a sprig of rosemary or harvest your lavender, remember Elias Ashmole and his companions.

In nurturing our gardens, we cultivate not only plants but also a connection to this rich tapestry of botanical history.

Now, isn't that a thought to make your green thumbs positively tingle with excitement?

Elias Ashmole, 1688
Elias Ashmole, 1688
Elias Ashmole by John Riley, 1681-82
Elias Ashmole by John Riley, 1681-82

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