Late summer is typically the start of harvest season for the earliest crops, but this year the weather was so odd in July that we seem to be a little behind. As we start to harvest (and eat!) we'll keep adding to this post to share how our crops are looking as we harvest [...]
Aren’t these gorgeous! But, first a little science. Beyond some swaying in the wind, a plant generally doesn’t move during its lifetime. And while this allows it to stay put to enjoy the soil, sun, and water they need to grow, [...]
In previous blog posts, we took a look that the two crops we planted in the OCHM Garden that were successfully introduced to the region early: onions and potatoes. In this update, we are dealing with two more crops planted in the garden that were introduced later on: tomatoes and cucumbers. [...]
Archaeological evidence suggests that vegetable farming in New England dates back more than one thousand years. Three plants, known as the Three Sisters, were grown together by Native Americans: corn, beans, and squash. The term three sisters come from the way in which these three crops have a symbiotic relationship in their growth: [...]
Potatoes are one of the more versatile foods that we eat and one of the earliest-introduced crops of the Old Colony region, which is how they found their way into the OCHM garden. Originally from Peru, the first potatoes grown in New England arrived on ships from Ireland. Those ships' passengers settled in [...]
We’re talking about beginnings in this post and wanted to share a little more about the beginnings of our project. For the past few summers, we have had a homemade mini-golf course on our front lawn. It was fun, eye-catching, and a low-key way to introduce people to the museum. We used [...]
Lavender is a lovely, fragrant perennial that can be grown in flower beds or containers and is a great plant to attract pollinators to your garden. Unlike most of the flowers you see in our garden, lavender is not native to North America but is indigenous to the Mediterranean. The name comes from the [...]
Starting seeds indoors is a great way to get into gardening and can be a really rewarding and satisfying hobby. You also can do it fairly inexpensively, right in your own home, and enjoy the benefits for months. This post shares some tips and tricks for getting started with starting seeds indoors. [...]
Of all the plants we are hoping to grow this year, onions have to be started the earliest and they became the first seeds sown for the 2021 OCHM Garden. We decided to grow onions because they were one of the earliest introduced crops to our area, first arriving here in the 1630s. By [...]
Sometimes the idea of planting seeds and growing a garden can be daunting—we get that! Do I have the right soil? How much light does a plant need? Am I watering too much? Too little? When do I start this type of seed? Why is my new plant dying?! So if reading a blog [...]
