medieval garden
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| © Michel Chassat / Royaumont |
When landscape architect Olivier Damée created this garden in 2004, he designed it to showcase collections of plants that were to be periodically renewed.
The first theme of the exhibition was medicinal plants from the list drawn up in the 12th century by the abbess Hildegard von Bingen. The theme of this exhibition, which starts in 2007, is plants used for dying and weaving.
They hark back to ancient techniques, but they also suggest the symbolism of colours. The structure of the garden remains unchanged. The main exhibition area is made up of nine raised beds of plantings bordered with woven chestnut and surrounded by live willow fencing.
The table of knowledge presents a number of potted plants, while next to them a garden of mother plants supplies the garden of nine squares as needed. Last but not least, small orchard serves as a reminder that abbeys maintained a variety of cultivated areas within their precincts.
However, the exhibition does not attempt to faithfully re-create a medieval garden. It demonstrates the principles according to which such gardens were designed and maintained, while adding elements of ornamentation.
the nine squares
The table of knowledge
The garden of nine squares
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| © Joel Klutsch 2007 |
The collection in this area is laid out in accordance with its title, “Coloured Plants, Plant Colours” and is organised in concentric circles.
Coloured plants…
The outer ring provides a simple interpretation of the colours, i.e. the interpretation given by the eye, with each part expressing a different colour: pink, blue, red, etc.
The circle is edged with a fringe of white, flowered with a single variety in each square, so as to heighten the perception of the coloured flowers.
…plant colour
The intermediate circle presents plants with multi-coloured flowers. On the northern side, along the kitchen walls, plants are grouped according to the colour they produce: red, yellow and blue. On the opposite side are the “technical” plants that are used in the dyeing process.
Lastly, other plants are arranged according to the part of the plant from which colours are derived: stems, roots, flowers, etc....
Fibre plants
The inner circle presents fibre plants, i.e. plants used to produce the fibres that in turn are used to make cloth.
The garden inspired by the Middle Ages was established with the support of:The Yves Rocher Foundation, the main partner in the Garden of nine squares, has supported this heritage project since its inception in 2004.
The Coloured Plants, Plant Colours collection is supported by 3C SA and Vert Limousin, which also supported the creation of the garden in 2004.
The table of knowledge
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| © : Michel Chassat / Royaumont |
The table of knowledge presents a number of the textile plants from the 9 squares in pots.
The plants are arranged in the chronological order in which they came into massive use. The shape of the pot indicates the major period: the first period extends from the Middle Ages (and before) through the 18th century, the second covers the 19th century and the last covers the present and the future.
For the tinctorial plants, the colour of the pot indicates the colour of the dye obtained from the plant, with the exception of the terracotta pots, which contain fibre plants. Recent research has focused on large-scale promotion of plant dyes; a selection of these plants is presented here (goldenrod, madder, chamomile, dyer’s knotweed and woad). The plantsof the past are proving to be the plantsof the future.
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The dyeing process at a glance
Color, a world of symbol
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