Throughout his work, Shakespeare mentions numerous plants and flowers–about 175. These mentions have inspired numerous gardeners to plant “Shakespeare Gardens,” in which they plant as many of the flowers mentioned as possible. The best thing about these Shakespeare Gardens is that they pop up where you least expect them. We have run across them completely unexpectedly while touring a preserved home.
Shakespeare Gardens are a fantastic field trip opportunity for any Shakespeare Club. Most have plaques identifying the flower and the quote from Shakespeare’s work that mentions the flower. Just reviewing these citations is a great opportunity for a Shakespeare Club. If the garden is suitable, it would also be fun to hold a meeting in the midst of the garden and perhaps run a few scenes with the garden as your set.
To find a Shakespeare Garden near you, simply do an internet search with the term “Shakespeare Garden” and your location. Specifically check public gardens, parks, universities, and museums or houses run by a historical society. You might also check out this list of Shakespeare Gardens on Wikipedia.
To learn more about Shakespeare Gardens, Mary Randolph has written a wonderful article about Shakespeare Gardens for Smithsonian Magazine that can be found here.
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