author
An early English writer who helped bring practical gardening to a wider audience, he is best remembered for one of the first popular gardening books in English. His work also ranged into astrology, arithmetic, dreams, and physiognomy, showing the broad curiosity of Tudor-era readers and writers.
by Thomas Hill
Active in the 16th century, Thomas Hill was an English astrologer, writer, and translator, probably born around 1528 and dead by about 1574. He described himself as a Londoner with a modest education, though he knew Latin and Italian, which helped shape his work.
He is most closely linked with The profitable arte of gardening, first published in 1563, a book often described as the first popular gardening guide in English. He later became associated with The Gardener's Labyrinth, a well-known gardening work that was published after his death under the name Didymus Mountain, a name now generally attributed to Hill.
His interests were not limited to gardening. Hill also published books on arithmetic, astrology, dream interpretation, and physiognomy, making him a good example of a practical, wide-ranging Renaissance author whose books aimed to inform everyday readers.