Paradisi in sole paradisus terrestris, or, A garden of all sorts of pleasant flowers which our English ayre will permitt to be noursed vp / a kitchen garden of all manner of herbes, rootes & fruites for meate or sauce vsed with vs, and, an orchard of all sorte of fruitbearing trees and shrubbes fit for our land, together with the right orderinge, planting & preseruing of them and their vses & vertues

by John Parkinson

As the last hath party coloured leaues, white and greene, so this hath his leaues of an ash-colour, which of some is called russet; and hath no other difference either in forme or smell.

3. Hyssopus aureus. Yellow or golden Hyssope.

All the leaues of this Hyssope are wholly yellow, or but a little greene in them, and are of so pleasant a colour, especially in Summer, that they prouoke many Gentlewomen to weare them in their heads, and on their armes, with as much delight as many fine flowers can giue: but in Winter their beautifull colour is much decayed, being of a whitish greene, yet recouer themselues againe the next Summer.

4. Hyssopus surculis densis. Double Hyssope.

As this kinde of Hyssope groweth lower then the former or ordinary kinde, so it hath more branches, slenderer, and not so wooddy, leaning somewhat downe toward the ground, so wonderfully thicke set with leaues, that are like vnto the other, but of a darker greene colour, and somewhat thicker withall, that it is the onely fine sweete herbe, that I know fittest (if any be minded to plant herbes) to set or border a knot of herbes or flowers, because it will well abide, and not growe too wooddy or great, nor be thinne of leaues in one part, when it is thicke in another, so that it may be kept with cutting as smooth and plaine as a table. If it be suffered to growe vp of it selfe alone, it riseth with leaues as before is specified, and flowreth as the common doth, and of the same sent also, not differing in any thing, but in the thicknesse of the leaues on the stalkes and branches, and the aptnesse to be ordered as the keeper pleaseth.

Chamædrys. Germander.

Lest Germander should be vtterly forgotten, as not worthy of our Garden, seeing many (as I said in my treatise or introduction to this Garden) doe border knots therewith: let me at the least giue it a place, although the last, being more vsed as a strewing herbe for the house, then for any other vse. It is (I thinke) sufficiently knowne to haue many branches, with small and somewhat round endented leaues on them, and purplish gaping flowers: the rootes spreading far abroad, and rising vp againe in many places.

The Place.

These Hyssopes haue beene most of them noursed vp of long time in our English Gardens, but from whence their first originall should be, is not well knowne. The Germander also is onely in Gardens, and not wilde.