Vegetable Gardening the Colonial Williamsburg Way 18th-Century Methods for Today's Organic Gardeners

by Greene, Wesley

• ISBN13: 9781609611620
• ISBN10: 1609611624
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-02-14
• Publisher: Rodale Books

Summary

From the nation's foremost historical preservation site comes a guide to traditionaland still relevantmethods and advice for planting and tending a productive vegetable garden In a colonial-style garden, the broccoli is purple and "turkey" cucumbers grow to three feet long; oiled paper predates plastic for sheltering spring plants; and fermenting manure warms the seedlings. Finding inspiration and value in 18th-century plants, tools, and techniques, the gardeners at Colonial Williamsburg have discovered that these traditional vegetable-growing methods are perfectly at home in today's modern organic gardens. After all, in the 18th century, organic gardening was the onlytype of gardening and local produce the only produce available. Author Wesley Greene founded the Colonial Garden in Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area in 1996. He and his colleagues have painstakingly researched the ways the colonists planted and tended their vegetable and herb beds, most of which are more relevant than ever. Along with historical commentary and complete growing instructions for 50 delicious vegetables, including colonial varieties still available today, gardeners and folklorists will find weather-watching guidelines, planting techniques, and seedsaving advice for legumes, brassicas, alliums, root crops, nightshades, melons, squash, greens, and other curious and tender produce.

Author Biography

Wesley Greene is the garden historian at Colonial Williamsburg, the 301-acre historic area that includes famed gardens and hundreds of historically furnished buildings. More than 100 million visitors have toured Colonial Williamsburg since 1932.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. vi
Of Beans and Peas	p. 1
Of the Cabbage Family	p. 21
Of Salad Greens	p. 45
Of Root Crops	p. 79
Of the Onion Family	p. 125
Of Cucumbers and Melons	p. 153
Of Squash; Pumpkins, and Gourds	p. 175
Of Tomatoes and Peppers	p. 191
Of Luxuries and Oddities	p. 205
Gardening under Cover	p. 227
Growing Sticks	p. 235
About the Author and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation	p. 238
A Selected Bibliography	p. 239
Index	p. 240
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