“There were the four sorts of violets, primula, melilot, blue anemones, gith, cyclamen, ranunculus, aquilegia, lily of the valley and amaranth; horse-mint, spikenard, Celtic nard, ambrosia, marjoram and mint; also the basils – lemon, clove, and the other tiny ones – and many other sweet-smelling and flowering herbs. All the species of pinks were there, together with miniature Persian rose-bushes covered with fragrant hundred-petalled roses of every colour, and innumerable others, including all the scented and attractive herbs. They were all uncultivated, scattered in beautiful array by noble Nature herself, with no human assistance. Their greenery and flowers never faded, and they delighted and gratified the senses with unfailing loveliness.” – Francesco Colonna, “Hypnerotomachia Poliphili,” 1499 CE 〰️