COLONIAL GARDEN
New Take on Southold Historical Museum Herb Garden
Tradition and technology mix in the reinvigorated herb garden at Southold Historical Museum’s Maple Lane Complex. Visitors will now have an opportunity to explore the Colonial Herb Garden using QR codes. The codes link to “my plant’s story” - information about how the herbs were used.
The Kitchen Garden was a mainstay for Colonial families in Southold. In it, women grew the vegetables and herbs used on a daily basis for their families. The Colonial Herb Garden, set behind the 1700s Thomas Moore House at Southold Historical Museum is now interactive! Go to the garden site and see the labels with the QR Codes you can scan for historical and other information on each plant.
Click the button below to the information for each plant while at home.
The interactive feature has been the result of the work of two master gardeners, Carol Brown and Cara Cunneen. When the time came for each of them to select a project for the Master Gardener certification, they picked the herb garden on Southold Historical Museum’s Maple Lane Complex. This was a fitting choice as Carol Brown has been a member of the Southold Garden Club, which has been maintaining this garden for many years. In fact, the garden has always been the love of volunteers from the community. The idea for a colonial herb garden originally came from late museum volunteer and garden club member, Clara Bjerknes.
Museum Director, Deanna Witte-Walker states, “We are excited for visitors to discover this new feature in the Colonial Herb Garden. The QR codes offer depth and breadth while also making the experience fun for all ages. We are truly grateful to be the recipients of Carol and Cara’s project.”
Master Gardener Carol Brown explains, “Through the QR codes on the plant labels, visitors can learn more about the what and why of the important plants in the Colonial kitchen garden. It gives them permission to pause and have a cognitive and sensory experience with the garden.”
Suffolk Cornell Cooperative Extension offers an intensive and robust Master Gardener Volunteer program each year. They welcome both experienced and novice gardeners to the program who are trained in many aspects of gardening from the biology of plants to insect management.
Funding for the QR codes was provided by David and Liz Shanks in memory of Nettie Shanks who was a master gardener herself and did a lot of work at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Southold Historical Museum’s Maple Lane Complex is located at 55200 Main Rd., Southold, NY. During the season, July to Mid-September, the buildings are open Saturday and Sundays from 1-4pm. The grounds themselves are self-guided.
For more information on any other museum programs, please call 631.765.5500.