The Remick gardens are rooted in history! To assist in helping you think about gardening practices in times past, three distinct vegetable gardens are located in our garden exhibits area, each representing a garden style that was favored during a given period:
Early Republic: 1790s to 1840s
DEFINING FEATURES | Gardening for subsistence; rectangular beds; orderly design; plants in rows; veg/flowers/herbs all growing together in the same bed.
Victorian Garden: 1860s to the turn of the 20th century
DEFINING FEATURES | More decorative, not purely functional; fancy and exotic plant varieties; lush, ornate, patterned design—looks chaotic and overwhelming at first, but has an underlying order known to the gardener; accessories (e.g.: sundials, bird baths, etc.).
Victory Garden: Early 20th century (WWI, WWII)
DEFINING FEATURES | Back to subsistence and functionality over aesthetics, things that can be canned/preserved; everyone chipped in to do their part.
We also grow a Medicinal Herb Garden to help educate visitors about early country doctor history and provide examples of raised-bed and container gardening.
Our Vegetable & Herb Gardens
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As much as possible, we sow heirloom seeds.
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Heirloom seeds are seeds that are open-pollinated and developed before the 1940s, passed down from one generation to the next.
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Heirloom vegetables are not always perfect-looking, but the plants are reliable, adaptable, and give us valuable clues to how our ancestors ate.
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Heirlooms are generally more resistant to adverse growing conditions and are more likely to thrive on their own without chemical fertilization, irrigation or pesticides.
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Each year, we try new varieties of vegetables to see what might work best for our growing conditions or to support a particular educational focus.
Marion Remick Memorial Garden (1996)
A shady, quiet garden located on the street side of the Museum Center Barn, next to our front entrance. It was planted in honor of Marion Remick, “Doc” Remick’s wife, who loved gardening and was a member of the Tamworth Garden Club. The garden’s layout and fencing are based on Marion’s 1930s design.
News from the Gardens
Look for frequent garden news on Facebook and Instagram.
