Delaware River Countryside Living - 2004 No. 2

New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania
Sources for Historic Gardening and Landscaping

Gardening has always played an important role in history, including 
that of the Delaware River Countryside. The land around the Delaware 
River was known to be rich and fertile by the earliest settlers who 
cleared the land, and built their lives, their homes and their villages 
around agriculture.  Their houses are the ones that are now so 
attractive to people who are seeking historic homes and a taste of 
that earlier time. Agriculture, for most of us, has turned from necessity 
to hobby, however, finding suitable plants for your historic home can 
sometimes be difficult, so below are some books and local plant 
nurseries that may help you create that special garden. 

Researching your historic garden:

American Gardens in the Eighteenth Century: for Use or for 
Delight. By Ann Leighton,  University of Massachusetts Press, 
1986.  ISBN 0870235311

American Gardens of the Nineteenth Century:  for Comfort and 
Affluence.  By Ann Leighton, University of Massachusetts Press, 
1987  ISBN 0870235338

Early American Gardens “For Meate or Medicine”.  By Ann Leighton,
University of Massachusetts Press, 1986.  ISBN 0870235303

Restoring American Gardens :  An Encyclopedia of Heirloom 
Ornamental Plants, 1640-1940. By Denise Wiles Adams, 
Timber Press, 2004.  ISBN 0881926191.

For Every House a Garden: A Guide for Reproducing Period  
Gardens .  By Rudy J. Favretti & Joy P. Favretti, University 
Press of New England , 1990.  ISBN  0874515149

The New Traditional Garden: A Practical Guide to Creating and 
Restoring Authentic American Gardens for Homes of All Ages.  
By Michael Weishan, Ballantine Books, 1999.  ISBN 0345420411

Furnishing your historic garden:

The Delaware River Countryside has an abundance of quality 
greenhouses and nurseries.  Below are some local shops that 
specialize in more elusive and rare varieties of plants. Please 
call in advance for hours and directions as some stores have 
limited hours depending on the season.