Planting the History Garden: Campbellton NB

The Galerie Restigouche Gallery History Garden June 10, 2017

Galerie Restigouche Gallery: Heritage Garden Project.

The Heritage Garden Project created by the Galerie Restigouche Gallery is based on information gather from information generously provided by the Kings Landing Historical Settlement. 

A second source was the book, written by Wesley Greene, “Vegetable Gardening, The Colonial Williamsburg Way.”

The seeds used in the Heritage garden are based upon the information Kings Landing provided.  The garden will grow onions, peas, beans, squash.\ and a few other varieties.

We plan to save seeds from the garden and replant them each Spring 2018. In this way, we will develop plants that are accustomed to the region. In time, we may be able to make some of these seeds available to local gardeners.  Herbs and plants that were used for medicinal purposes will play a vital part in creating this living testimony that is the Heritage Garden. 

The Heritage Garden project will create a legacy through its documentation using both digital video and still photography. The videos and photos will be posted on the Facebook page set up for the Historic Garden.

Photographs will illustrate the work being done and will be accompanied by a clear language text enabling visitors easy access to the content and context of this Garden.  It is our hope this approach will assist in learning and to becoming familiar with the gardening methods and the plants being utilized for the project.  

 The only tools used will be those available at the time and no artificial ingredients will be employed in the garden.

The final event will be a harvest meal prepared using the produce grown and members of the community will be invited to sit down and enjoy the feast.

Beet- Mangel Wurzel

Mangel wurzel or mangold wurzel, also called mangold, mangel beet, field beet, and fodder beet, is a cultivated root vegetable derived from Beta vulgaris. I am seeking a Canadian seed source.

Seeds Are Living History

Good day, the rest of this article will appear in this Friday's Campbellton Tribune.

"Seeds, my interest in seeds goes beyond providing myself with good quality seed with which to begin my gardens. The history and heritage of the seeds I collect, share and grow also fascinates me.

What is the connection between gardening, heritage and history? When you plant heritage seeds you are continuing to grow plants that have been planted by gardeners for at least 50 years and in some cases even more.

My attraction to seed history has found another outlet. Last year I began to work with the Living History-Histoire Vivante Restigouche project. I am on their Board of Directors, and more to the point, I will be joining this living history in the summer of 2016 at Sugarloaf Provincial Park.

To that end, I am seeking the seeds varieties that would have been planted during the period represented. What I will be searching for are corn, beans, squash, cabbages and other seeds known to be grown in our area during the period from 1750 to 1800, for example. Eventually, I will be saving and sharing these seeds."

I will be writing about my living history adventure right here, so stay connected.

Heritage Seeds