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sugar_peas

Any 1800-1850ish period gardens to visit in NE?

sugar_peas
19 years ago

We just bought a small 1846 Greek Revival farm house in rural CT and I'm interested in seeing a little more about what was done at the time. I don't think I'll be doing a 'period' garden, but I'd like to familiarize myself with the styles of time period for influences.

I'm sure there are books, if anybody can recommend any specifically please do so. I tried to look last week at bookstore and did see a tiny bit, but with a 2+4yr old and a too busy business I'm afraid most of my research is online late at night ; )

thanks

Carrie

Comments (8)

  • Cady
    19 years ago

    You're in the perfect place to take a drive up to Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. It's a living history museum and authentic 1830s New England village that could be anywhere in CT, MA, RI, NH... etc. The buildings are all genuine and were moved on site from various places around New England.

    The best thing, is they have historically-accurate period gardens. Take a look at their website. Click on "Special Features" on the menu on the left, and you'll see a link to their "heirloom gardens" page. :)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Sturbridge

  • garlicgrower
    19 years ago

    and I like Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

    Here is a link that might be useful: Strawbery Banke

  • gulliblevolunteer
    19 years ago

    And a great book to start with is "For Every House A Garden: a guide for reproducing period gardens" by Rudy and Joy Favretti. It's an inexpensive book if you just want ideas.

  • Saypoint zone 6 CT
    19 years ago

    Welcome, Carrie. On a smaller scale, many local town historical societies have properties where they maintain gardens with varying degrees of historic accuracy.

    Here in Old Saybrook, where I live, the Hart House garden is mostly laid out in a way that it might have been when the Hart family was in residence, and the volunteers who plant and maintain it try to use only plants that were in use during that period.

    If you contact historical societies in your area, they can tell you if they have gardens, and being history nuts, will probably have a good idea how accurate their restorations are, and will likely be happy to share information with you.
    Jo

  • Gnomlet
    19 years ago

    Here are two books worth reading during these winter evenings (or days as a matter of fact). "American Gardens of the Nineteenth Century" by Ann Leighton and "Restoring American Gardens" by Denise Wiles Adams. Ann Leighton has two other books that cover earlier centuries and all three of her books are informative and fun, if you have time, love literature, history and gardening. The Adams book is new in 2004 and is easier reading and has quicker access to the time period and plants in which you are interested .
    Your local library can get these books for you.
    Gnomlet

  • Jill_Bttrfly
    19 years ago

    The Gertrude Jekyll house in Woodbury, CT is a lovely spot to visit a recreation of an 18th century garden (and nice antiquing in Woodbury, too, if that's your thing!).

    If you want to bring the kids, there is a park right next door they can play in with a grownup while you check out the garden. Bring a camera!!!

    Here is a link that might be useful: The Gertrude Jekyll Garden

  • ginny12
    19 years ago

    Also take a look at Old Time Gardens by Alice Morse Earle. First published in 1901 and just reprinted. It is about the colonial era but especially the post-Revolution up til the Civil War--just what you are looking for. Lots of period photographs of old gardens to get ideas from.

  • Decor_01
    18 years ago

    We built a wonderful garden trellis, pergola system in our backyard. It is to die for! We used decorative roman columns with Ionic capitals to complete the look. It looks like the old style Georgian look from the early American settlers. For help designing one try this site, they were very helpful. Arbor, Trellis, and Pergolas

    Here is a link that might be useful: Arbor, Trellis, and Pergolas

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