History's greatest playwright was also one heck of a gardener. The age of Elizabeth I provided William Shakespeare with a rich and varied plant palette, both from England' s considerable bounty as well as foreign introductions.  These he "planted" in his prolific contributions to English literature, and they still bloom today in language filled with plant lore and flower symbolism.  Learn Elizabeth I's role in the advancement of English horticulture and peruse Elizabethan garden elements including mounts and mazes, spouting sundials, fantastical topiary and the pleached bower to add to your garden.  Explore some Tudor and Shakespearean gardens in the UK and the USA to visit for inspiration. Turns out, the world's not only a stage, it's also a garden!

Lesley Parness has worked in public gardens in America and abroad for the past four decades. She is a founding member and past president of Garden State Gardens, a non-profit consortium of New Jersey’s public gardens, and a member of the Herb Society of America and the Council on Botanic and Horticultural Libraries. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including The Friends of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum’s Annual and Arbor Day Awards, The Friends of Berry Lane Park’s Annual Award and The North Jersey Civil War Roundtable’s Special Achievement Award.

Funded by a generous gift to the AWPL Foundation by Glenn P. and Susan D. Dickes.