Colonial Gardens

Contemporary Applications of Colonial Gardens

 by Márta Gyeviki

With rapid environmental changes disturbingly apparent to us all, many people are looking at their properties from a new perspective. How can our personal outdoor spaces make a difference? We already know how important it is to increase urban green areas. We also know the value of using drought-tolerant and native plants. But there are other opportunities.

We can create gardens not only to be aesthetically pleasing and to support wildlife but also to enhance self-sufficiency—places where beauty and usefulness coexist. Even if the vegetables and fruits produced in home gardens don’t cover all household needs, they can make a real dent in environmental pollution from large-scale food production and transport.

Looking to colonial gardens can help us understand how to grow edible plants while maintaining the ornamental function of our gardens. The colonial period ranged from 1600 to 1775. Gardeners of this era were constrained by small lots, little leisure time and money, limited plant availability, and sometimes inadequate water sources. Most of these factors are more relevant than ever to garden design today.

 The gardens of early settlers were varied, reflecting the traditions of the European countries where the immigrants came from. Colonists and Europeans frequently exchanged plant material. New World species were shipped across the Atlantic, while Asian and European species made their way to America. Exotic fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, and flowering bulbs were interplanted with natives, including tobacco, corn, and other vegetables, as well as indigenous trees, flowering shrubs, vines, and wildflowers.

 Though different regions adopted different styles, some typical features of colonial gardens can be described. Ordinary village houses were built behind tiny front yards on narrow lots, often a mere 40 to 50 feet wide, with meticulously defined edges separating properties from sidewalks and neighbors. These small front areas had to be functional above all, but they might include herbs and veggies or colorful perennials to enliven the scene. Sometimes there were longer spaces behind these village houses to work fields, keep livestock, and maintain gardens. Square- and rectangular-shaped raised beds allowed gardeners easy access to all the plants. Smaller vegetables and herbs might be situated nearer the kitchen, while larger vegetables such as beans, corn, and pumpkins would be grown in outlying fields.

 A straight central walkway might lead to a focal point, usually a well or another stone feature. Planks covered gravel or swept-dirt paths to make walking easier in rain or snow. When available, other regional paving materials, such as bricks, cobblestones, shells, and bark, might be added to dress up pathways. In rural areas, fruit trees sometimes lined property edges. In addition to providing fruit, the trees served as hedges to protect plants from animals and wind.

 Let’s embrace the challenge of creating yards that are respectful of the environment and other species while in tune with our own gardening and aesthetic interests. Plant in empty lots and bare patches of dirt. Start small, with just one or two beds of various greens, and fill the rest of the space with ornamental drought-tolerant and native plants.

 References:

 Old House Journal, Creating a Colonial Garden, by Lucinda Brockway

Penn State Extension, Creating a Colonial Garden, by Kathleen M. Kelley