My mother recently gave me a really cool book, that is especially appropriate for the 4th of July. It is called Founding Gardeners, by Andrea Wulf and it chronicles the passion for gardening and agriculture that many of our founding fathers had. For instance, George Washington wrote many correspondences during the revolutionary war back to his estate to check on the condition of his fields and gardens. He is also reported to have encouraged his troops to grow regimental gardens both to fill rations and to provide some stress relief. Even the continental congress would take breaks for garden visits during the negotiations that led to the writing of our Constitution. In many ways gardening and agriculture shaped early America and are embedded in our American spirit.
One really cool way that the founding fathers used gardening to display their independent spirit was by embracing the new native plants of America, rather than the old plants of classic English gardens. Today, planting native plants is a great way to create a tough, hardy landscape (see some of our favorites below) but it can also link us to the past and the passion American settlers had for their gardens. We hope you have a safe and happy Fourth of July, celebrating America’s independence and your independent spirit in your garden.
