Roots
2 Yoke
32
edible INDY spring 2016
Many early 19th century gardens were an acre or more in size. Rather than turning them over by hand in the spring, gardeners could use a team of oxen to cultivate the soil. A yoke allowed oxen to use the strength of their shoulders to move equipment like plows, harrows and carts.
1 Wheelbarrow A wheelbarrow is a necessary piece of equipment for any sized garden. This is an early 19th century design that was primarily used for hauling seeds, starts or cleaning out the barn to fertilize the garden.
Layout by Caryn Scheving
U
nless they lived in a large city, nearly everyone in the early 19th century would have some sort of garden. It might range from a few herbs, and more perishable vegetables near the back door, to a garden of a few acres. (Remember most people couldn’t head to their local green grocer for that missing item from their recipe.) They would also plan their gardens with crops that could be preserved in various ways to provide them with food throughout winter. Gardening work would begin as soon as winter gave way to spring and the ground started to thaw. Crops like potatoes, peas, spinach and lettuce might go in the ground in Indiana as early as late March or early April, depending on temperatures. Warm weather crops like beans, tomatoes and peppers would be planted after the danger of late frosts passed, usually the second or third week of May. These crops today use a similar timeline. And what would any garden have been without the appropriate tool?
