The Best of Times 1870-1915: Heritage Gardening at Cradle Knoll Farm by Doris Bickford-Swarthout

It wasn’t a perfect world, but the period between the Civil War and the First World War was perhaps the best time Americans would know. New inventions were making life easier for a growing middle class. For them, more leisure was possible. But there was still a compelling connection with their rural roots. Land hunger dominated the minds of even successful businessmen who dreamed of owning a small bit of country. It was in this atmosphere that the suburban country home came into being. Neither a farm or village place, this “farmette” was something between. Here gardens and orchards flourished.

The vegetables, fruits and flowers that were grown are now in great demand as hybridization caused open-pollinated varieties to become scarce, and unfortunately in many cases extinct. A renewed interest in our horticultural heritage has brought about what has become known as Heritage Gardening - that is, gardening with heirloom plants.