The Colonial Garden
A History of Past Gardening Styles
Article written for The Essential Herbal January 2005
Herbs and herb gardening have been
around this country for more than a few centuries. Our foremothers and
forefathers brought from the old world, along with their new political ideas,
plants and seeds that would be needed to sustain them. Yes, herbs were grown
and harvested for seasoning the meals, dying fabrics, making soaps and other
household helpers such as brooms, but more importantly they were utilized as
medicines and for the prevention of diseases. Today, there has been a reconnection to our
past and herbs seem to play a major part in the reconstruction of the old
gardens that worked so well before. Here at Possum Creek Herb Farm we have
recreated what we think would have been a working herb garden used by the
Colonial housewife during the period of 1690-1780.
CREATING THE STRUCTURE
The
Colonists would have placed their gardens near their home preferably behind the
kitchen for easy access. Many would have fenced in the gardens to protect the
precious plants from animals. A fence of twigs, small branches and trunks of
small trees would have been tied together and pounded into the ground.
Fortunately for us, fencing is a little less work intensive. Our Colonial herb
garden is surrounded by a weather resistance white picket fence with gates for
easy access. The Colonists would have dug out their gardens with crude shovels,
axes and possibly with the use of a horse or mule. They would have created long
rows with paths intersecting each section of the garden. The house wife would
have interspersed vegetables in with the herbs. Each section of the Colonial
herb garden here at the farm is enclosed in pressure treated lumber “boxes”.
They range in size from 8 feet by 4 feet to 8 feet by 8 feet. There are six
boxes in all with gravel paths leading the visitor from one garden to the next.
The Colonists would have used the rich soil that they built their homes on
probably removing large stones and utilizing them for building walls. We too
have rich, well-draining soil here at the farm which we amend yearly with
compost. Full sun and moisture were all that was needed to promote the lush
growth of the herbs for use all throughout the spring, summer and fall.
THE DYE
GARDEN
Several
herbs lend themse lves very well to
dying fabrics. The Colonial housewife would have boiled the foliage, bark and
roots of Rosemary, Sage Yarrow, Chamomile and Woad, which were among others, to
dye their homespun fabrics such as wool. Herbs such as Soapwort and Lavender
were added to the daily wash water to freshen and clean the laundry. Many
herbal blooms lend themse lves well
to the dye pot. Blooms from herbs such as Marigold, Onion, Goldenrod, Madder
Oregano, and Foxglove just to name a few were also used in the dying process.
THE CULINARY GARDEN
Many
herbs were grown for seasonings. The Colonial housewife would have tended her
culinary herb garden each spring and summer, harvesting what she needed on a
daily basis. And what she didn’t use on a daily basis she would bundle up and
hang near a dry cool spot out of the sun for future use. Herbs such as Thyme,
Sage, Rosemary, Lavender, Chive, Dill and Roses were grown and harvested. Rose
petals were often saved for potpourri which wasn’t used to fragrance the home
but to mask unpleasant smells from the inhabitants that lived their. Many herbs
were made into jellies and jams if sugar was available. Or dried and pounded
into powders for seasoning during the winter.
THE MEDICINAL GARDEN
Herbs
played a very important role medicinally. The housewife was usually the family
physician back in the very early days. She often gathered herbs from her
gardens or from the wild to treat her family. Often diseases such as malaria,
typhoid, measles, malaise and dysentery were treated with herbs such as Willow
As the
knowledge of the Colonial housewife increased so did her gardens. Many
Colonists raised bees for honey for their families and to sell. The blossoms of
many herbs attract honeybees and other beneficial wildlife to the gardens. Many
Colonists also learned that certain vegetables grew well along side their
herbal counterparts increasing the harvest for the family. And they learned to
utilize compost from their farm animals to improve the soil. We could learn a
lot from those early settlers that discovered our country. Many of these
gardens have been lost do to the sprawl of our cities but a few have been kept
intact for visitors such as the gardens of George Washington at Mount Vernon Monticello
