Our Garden

As the summer comes to a close we wanted to share a little bit about our garden with you all! When we moved into the CW House back in May, we planted a small garden in our home’s backyard. Today, our garden is teeming with fresh herbs and beautiful flowers.

One of the rules as a resident in the Historic Area of Colonial Williamsburg is that everything on the exterior of our house must be consistent to 18th-century restrictions. So our garden must be planted according to the period, as well. We consulted Historic Gardener, Don McKelvey at the Colonial Williamsburg Nursery to help us 21st-century students understand which plants and techniques would be acceptable. Fortunately, the colonial Virginians appreciated lush gardens and delectable herbs, so we had quite a list of possibilities. Although, tomatoes are one plant that is strictly forbidden because the colonists simply didn’t grow it.

Since we weren’t able to start planting until the Virginia heat was already blazing, we decided to grow warm-season perennial herbs and flowers. Perennials are wonderful because they will bloom year after year!

We are fortunate to have a terrace with a bricked in ground border, traditional of an 18th-century southern urban-town. This has made the initial planning for the garden a lot simpler. The brick boundaries also have been lovely for keeping pesky weeds out of our garden.

We began by working the soil by turning it over with a shovel and then we mixed in a source of compost to the soil. We chose to plant basil (Sweet and African Blue varieties), rosemary, mint, lavender and chives so we could use their aromatic flavors in our cooking. We filled the garden with the blooms of a vibrant pink rose bush, feverfew with its small daisy blooms and the dainty purple blossoms of the nepeta.

We also planted a gorgeous pair of pixie lilies, one pink and one red, but they did not fair so well. Unfortunately, the lilies we purchased from the Farmers’ Market obviously were quite pleasing to the rabbit that keeps a residence in our neighborhood. The lilies are perennials, as well, so with any luck next spring they will have a second chance. Let us know if you have any great ideas for keeping Peter Cottontail away from our flowers!

At the moment, nearly everything in our garden is blooming. We didn’t even know our mint would bloom, and now it’s topped with delicate lavender wisps of flowers. Feel free to come by and check out our garden, thank you for letting us share our summer passion with you!

Whether you are looking for some gorgeous flowers to brighten up your new room or want a small potted basil plant to spice up your favorite dishes, check out the Virginia Farmers’ Market and the Colonial Nursery. The Farmers’ Market is at the top of Merchants Square on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, and the nursery is located on D.O.G. Street, across from Bruton Parish Church.

-E&M