For those in the northeast, the following paragraph is extracted from a speech delivered to MA. Board of Agriculture at its annual meeting by Mr. C.O. Perkins on Dec. 14th, 1864, the minutes of which were published as HORTICULTURE OF MASSACHUSETTES, 1864, by C.L. Flint You may find it helpful as you contemplate garden restoration ideas.

" THE NEW ENGLAND FARMHOUSE
Tastefully kept, carefully designed with reference to convenient location, convenience of internal arrangement, beauty of form and proportion, draped, perhaps, in tasteful simplicity with festoons of living vines, and with surrounding ornaments, of flowers, and of shade and fruit trees; occupied by the intelligent and warm-hearted farmer, with his neat, tasty, frugal, industrious and affectionate housewife, their cares and labors being lessened by the aid of sons bearing the image of the mother, and by daughters in the likeness of the father, and who, through the diligent training of the experienced parents, are the aspiring candidates to like positions,-all these, and even more may be seen in the rural portions of every New England town, and in no place on earth do we find nearer approaches to the Garden of Eden......"

Hopefully these words will inspire you as you go about your restoration projects!

Claire

Thanks John - I enjoy reading the old gardening books. Interesting to note how spellings have changed. Looking at an old gardening book last night I thought I spotted a typo: "Wistaria." But it was repeated throughout, so "wistaria" it was.

Here in Salem, Mass., we have lots of Federal Period homes (late 1700s to early 1800s) with a smattering of 17th-century homes. Many have been lovingly restored, along with gardens, from lithographs and drawings of them that were found in historical writings.

There is also the famous House of the Seven Gables (as depicted in Nathanial Hawthorne's book), with it's 17th-century grounds. For many years, the head gardener there designed and maintained very period-authentic gardens for the house. A few years ago, a new head gardener came aboard and completely re-worked the historical gardens. Some local historians have lauded his efforts, while others disapprove because they say the results are too avant-garde.
I haven't been there to see the work that has caused the bruhaha, so this spring I'll make a point of going over there to see how the gardens were renovated.