Next to my desk is a cork board filled with photos and postcards, and while some items come and go, one image has remained in place for close to a decade: a photo of the herb garden at the Benjamin Powell House at Colonial Williamsburg. It was the source of inspiration for my own four square garden design, which in turn, led to writing my kitchen garden book.
Visiting the gardens at Williamsburg has been only a dream until this past week, when I found that this living history museum was just a short drive from Newport News, VA where I was a guest speaker at a conference held by the Virginia Horticulture Society. I dashed out in the late afternoon with only a few hours of daylight left to go.
Touring Colonial Williamsburg off-season may not appeal to everyone, but I loved the empty streets and abandoned feel. Besides, I was not there to see the museum or go inside the houses. Even though the gardens were not in their prime season, I wanted to observe how the designs blended into the small yards, and get a sense for how gardens were integrated into the lives of the residents. Behind the Kings Arms Tavern, is a classic kitchen garden, with four espaliered apple trees spread out around the central core. Judging by the size of the main trunk, they must be one of the oldest on record, with branches measuring out to a good six feet or more, beautifully framing in the garden on all four sides.
While most of the gardens had a few winter crops, there was one very active winter garden overflowing with cabbages, spinach and kale, and a new crop of hardy broad beans emerging under a cross hatch or branches that would form a growing trellis. Winter tunnels harbored cabbage, and the gardener eagerly shared techniques for protecting the tender crops with decorative glass cloches and straw skeps.
The daylight did not last long enough for me to find my treasured garden at the Benjamin Powell House, but I did enjoy seeing the bones of the gardens, and admire the geometry and order. It gave me a sense of satisfaction to know that this four square design is timeless, and will continue to perform as a practical and simple way to keep a kitchen garden organized and efficient.
