Ancient Roman 'Perfume Garden' Blooms Again Nearly 1,900 Years After Vesuvius Eruption

An ancient garden in Pompeii has been reconstructed with thousands of historically accurate plants — breathing new life into a once-thriving Roman sanctuary.

The Pompeii Archaeological Park announced the recent reconstruction of the Garden of Hercules in a June Facebook post.

The garden features 800 "antique" roses and 1,200 violets, along with 1,000 ruscus plants, also known as butcher's bloom.

Cherry trees, grapevines and quince trees were also planted at the site, which is near a structure known as the House of the Garden of Hercules.

The Hercules reference comes from a marble statue of the god that was found in a shrine called a lararium.