There\u2019s an easy, cost-effective way to celebrate America\u2019s 250th this year, and it can be right in your backyard: a colonial garden. Subsistence gardening is a time-honored tradition that has helped millions get through economic challenges. Victory gardens, anyone? Simple in design, a colonial style garden provided nutritious crops and medicinal herbs to sustain a family.<\/p>\n
A colonial garden is a simple square plot of land with raised beds that were defined by tree saplings. The size of the garden depended on the size of the family it served. Normally, it was placed near a building, fence or hedge to provide protection from wind and animals and easy access. As practice grew, the designs became more elaborate with a center walkway and focal point like a fruit tree; mostly to indicate one\u2019s wealth at the time. Universally, these gardens held similar herbs, vegetables and flowers all valuable to those who tended them. <\/p>\n
Utilitarian and orderly at their finest, the colonial garden was a mixture of old world plants from the Europe and new world American species. Garden classics like cabbage, onion, carrots, and peas mixed with squashes, beans, corn, potatoes and peppers as common staples. Many medicinal herbs such as rosemary, lavender and thyme came from the old world and were planted next to echinacea, goldenrod and asters from the new world. Each plant was valued for its nutrition or unique abilities to help with common ailments in teas, tinctures and poultices. While every garden was unique, it served the common function of a family\u2019s health. <\/p>\n
Gender roles for the garden divided as the size grew. Normally the man of the house would till the earth and build the beds while the woman planted, tended and harvested. A smaller garden near the home would provide herbs and small produce while larger plots would be tended for staple crops, at which point the entire family would assist in the upkeep of their food supply. <\/p>\n
For 2026, my husband and I look forward to doing our own version of a colonial garden with a small embankment in our back yard. Needless to say, he can lay the lumber, but I\u2019ve already selected our squashes, beans, greens and herbs to be started in seed bags for the coming months. Once the last snow melts, we look forward to transforming \u201cMarch mud\u201d into April sprouts! Cheers to keeping the time-honored traditions alive my gardening friends. <\/p>\n
Currently the Environmental Education Specialist with Tobyhanna State Park, Steph Sherman has spent over a decade exploring Poconos through her work with Pocono Environmental Education Center and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. An all around adventurist, Steph looks forward to offering colonial programs at Tobyhanna, Big Pocono and Gouldsboro State Parks in honor of America\u2019s 250th. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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