If you, like me, have often wondered why American gardeners are so fixated on British gardens, it's probably because they just haven't bothered to delve into the fascinating story of our own gardens here in the United States. But now, the full story is available through the efforts of the Smithsonian Libraries and Smithsonian Gardens (including the Archives of American Gardens) in Washington DC.
A new exhibit, "Cultivating America's Gardens," is now open at the National Museum of American History, and it runs through August, 2018. So if you're planning a visit to DC, make sure you don't miss this show.
The exhibit covers the American garden from its earliest beginnings to the present day, from east to west coast, north to south and everything in between. Joyce Connolly, museum specialist at Smithsonian Gardens, explained that "Gardens are an important reflection of our culture, traditions, regional differences and design tastes." She added that "The long tradition of gardening in America continues to have an impact on how we design, use and enjoy gardens today."
The show is divided into various themes, ie, Gardening for Science, Gardening to Impress, Gardening for the Common Good, Gardening as a Link to the Past, Gardening as an Enterprise, and Gardening for the Environment.
Gardeners today are heavily into native plants and sustainability. They might be surprised to learn that Irish-born gardener William Robinson was inspired by the natural habitats of North America and first introduced the subject in his book, The Wild Garden, published in 1870.
You'll learn about plant explorers and breeders, famous World's Fair gardens, school gardens and victory gardens, the rise of the lawn and botanic gardens, and much, much more. Best of all, the entire exhibit is now online -- including links to many historic books -- so if you can't make it to Washington, spend a day or so online learning about our country's rich garden history. Check it out here.
images above:
Blue Garden at Beacon Hill, Newport, Rhode Island, 1920s
Archives of American Gardens, Garden Club of America Collection
Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) and Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)
From Mark Catesby, The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands (London, 1729-1747)
Smithsonian Libraries
Burgess Seed and Plant Co.
Seed catalog: Plant a Garden, 1943
Galesburg, Michigan
Smithsonian Libraries
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