Colonial Kitchen Garden Design

Colonial Kitchen Garden In 17th Century New England, colonists from England built raised, rectangular gardens just outside the home. Intensely cultivated and narrow enough to be tended from either side, the beds were filled with plants used for medicine, food and seasoning. Each plant was valued for its usefulness, not its beauty.

Fig. 2, Batty Langley, The Design of an Elegant Kitchen Garden Contain'g ARP 1.2.20. Including Walks, in New Principles of Gardening (1728), pl.

V. In New England's Prospect (1634), William Wood described the Massachusetts Bay Colony geography "as it stands to our new-come English planters, and to the old native inhabitants.". Certain design elements found in modern gardens have been adapted from colonial gardens of the past.

Colonial-era gardens have left a lasting legacy on American gardening, shaping the way we design, plant, and enjoy our outdoor spaces today. In the 17th and 18th centuries, these gardens were practical yet beautiful, blending European influences with local plants and conditions. They often featured neatly organized beds for vegetables, herbs, and flowers, reflecting both utility and aesthetic.

The influence of colonial gardens on American landscape design has been far-reaching and enduring. These early gardens laid the foundation for many aspects of modern American gardening, from design principles to plant selection and the integration of practical and aesthetic elements. Foundation for Future Styles The formal elements of colonial gardens influenced later American garden designs.

Colonial families grew plants for practical purpose. Their garden was filled with these plants used for food, medicine, cloth and dyeing cloth. During Colonial America, many people grew kitchen gardens that are the precursors of today's cottage gardens.

Penn State has published an article that details the history of the Colonial Gardens of America: American colonial gardens: The history "Although the colonial period ranged from 1600 to 1775, American and European garden designs did not change very much from the 1600s to 1840. Colonial gardens were functionable gardens composed of areas that raise food, create privacy, and create order in the landscape. While colonial gardens emphasized plants that were brought over from Europe, you can design a colonial garden that features a host of native plants.

The first thing to do when designing any garden is to take a site inventory. Record the plants that presently grow in. Looking for a garden that's practical and beautiful? Consider growing a colonial kitchen garden.

Learn how to create a colonial garden here. Explore the legacy of Colonial Revival gardens-where English design, American craftsmanship, and timeless tradition bloom in history and landscape today.

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