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How did the colonies grow?
Colonists grew enough food to support their families and in some cases were able to step away from subsistence to trade, barter, and sell. The harvests gathered by colonial farmers included an expansive number of crops: beans, squash, peas, okra, pumpkins, peppers, tomatoes, and peanuts.
What was horehound used for in colonial times?
Medicinal herbs in a colonial garden included horehound, a popular remedy for asthma and coughs, and Angelica, which was also used for colds and bronchial problems. Winter savory was often grown and used as an antiseptic and to relieve the pain of bee stings.
What did colonial gardeners do?
They grew flowers, fruits and a variety of grains. They brought many plants and seeds with them, traded for others, and the Native Americans provided them with new ones. They also practiced companion planting back then.
How was lavender used in Colonial times?
The colonists brought Lavender with them from Europe. Lavender was often used to scent clothing in the colonies and keep it in bed linens and within bed ticking to reduce insects and smells. Dried lavender would be tucked among stored clothes to refresh them by infusing the garments with their scent.
What did early settlers plant?
The harvests gathered by colonial farmers included an expansive number of crops: beans, squash, peas, okra, pumpkins, peppers, tomatoes, and peanuts. Maize (corn), and later rice and potatoes were grown in place of wheat and barley which were common European crops that did not take readily to eastern American soil.
What flowers did Colonial Williamsburg use?
Bulb flowers are also appropriate in American Colonial design. Examples are daffodils, tulips, hyacinth, allium, ranunculus and lilies. Popular wildflowers and filler flowers used in this style include baby’s breath (very popular), limonium, solidago, alder, sumac, cattails, several grasses and grains among others.