At Mount Grace Priory in North Yorkshire, our gardening team are growing plants inspired by medieval monks across Europe with aphrodisiac, narcotic and hallucinogenic qualities and names like mandrake and deadly nightshade. Today these might sound like the stuff of storybook spells, but for medieval monks they were ingredients in everyday remedies to treat all kinds of complaints*. We asked our Senior Gardens Advisor for the North and Midlands, Dr Michael Klemperer, to help us uncover the stories behind some of the plants you’ll find in our garden.
For more information about Mount Grace Priory, visit https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/history-and-stories/d-day-deception

*Never consume any of the plants referenced without medical advice.