Laura Heider
Prof. Jones
March 28, 2001
Evolution of the “Green Thumb”
Think of a hobby that has been around for centuries that people ages 5 to 95 can partake in. Gardening is that very hobby. As long as there is earth to plant and grow in, gardening will be around. “For nearly... well ... forever, gardeners and farmers grew plants using common sense, careful observation, and the resources nature provided” (Organic Gardening,1999). Just as technology has modernized our daily lives, it has also improved and eased methods of gardening as time has evolved.
Organic Gardening states evidence of gardening and horticulture recorded dating back to 8,000 B.C. “The staples of Native American cuisine, corn (maize) and common beans, are cultivated in the Western Hemisphere in 8,000 B.C. Also, Roman farmers are advised to spread dung on their fields to enhance soil fertility in 1 A.D. These two statements prove that not only gardening, but techniques we use today in gardening were used well before our time.”
I have never realized how valuable my time was spent in the garden when I was younger. From as early as I can remember, my entire family would spend (what seemed to be) countless hours in the garden on hot summer evenings picking strawberries and green beans and other tempting treats. There was even the dreaded job of hoeing weeds and attempting not to rip a plant out of the ground (or at least not letting Mom know if we did). Little did I know how much I would appreciate not only the fruits and vegetables we enjoyed from our garden for so many years, but also the time spent bent over with three generations of my family.
This is just one explanation of what gardening is to me. Many people garden for more reasons than just food and quality family bonding time. Like I mentioned before, any person of any age can garden. Some gardeners take the hobby to the highest level and create vast arrays of aesthetically pleasing scenery for professional reasons. There are competitions of gardening and growing from the county fair to garden club shows to professional shows.
Gardening is practiced for many reasons. In the 18th century multiple forms of gardening and growing of certain plants became trends. “In any case it was from the Indians that these early southern settlers received the key crop that would unlock gold from the poor red soil. Tobacco (American Gardens, 1976). Other plant sources were discovered and devoured by early settlers such as roots for medicines and certain drinks. The Native Americans were not the only plant-use trend setters, as travelers would ship plants from abroad to show culture and wealth.
A craze of raising gardens in the 18th century struck and soon after was perfected by a young and wealthy daughter of a plantation owner named Martha Logan. Logan was the “Martha Stewart” of gardening and various techniques in horticulture in her time. Wealthy people weren't the only ones who sought out plants, but those who were famous had their vegetables, succulents, and flowers sought out by the public. There are records of what vegetables grew in George Washington’s garden and also recorded was his interests in other plants.
A more modern and newer use for and reason for gardening is therapy. “Horticulture has been employed over the years; however, only recently has it been acknowledged and appreciated as a therapeutic and rehabilitative medium” (Horticulture 1978). The use of horticulture in rehabilitation is to “aid the disabled and disadvantaged to adjust to the limitations of their disability, encourage them to develop an interest in their surroundings, and to find challenge and meaning in life through renewed confidence and achievement.” This means that those who are limited because of reasons beyond their control can learn to find joy in their surroundings and feel a sense of accomplishment in helping something grow.
We have all heard that it is good for a growing plant if someone talks to it, not necessarily conversations but simple encouragement. Recent evidence indicates that there is an interplay between human behavior and garden activity. “Doctor Hugh Iltis, a taxonomist at the University of Wisconsin, believes that man is “genetically programmed” to require living plants in his surroundings (Horticulture, 1978). Some people believe that man and plants need one another to exist on earth. This is obvious in some cases where man is required to care for a plant in certain environments, but also for man to find and maintain a mental state of wholeness.
Another reason the people and plants go hand in hand is a special bond or existence can evolve between the two. A simple tree can be planted and can directly reflect the maturing and evolution of a persons life or at least the time and mood of a person. Many people can relate to the maturation of a tree from childhood to adulthood in reference to their personal growth at their childhood home in the changes of the tree. For example in The Diary of Anne Frank, Anne refers to the tree outside of her window while hiding in the secret annex of its changing during the seasons of colors, features, and seasonal traits. This proves that people do long for nature and plants when they are deprived of the simple beauty and experiance of a plant.
Gardeners can care for plants practically anywhere, whether you are on the building tops deep in a city or spacious farm land in the middle of no-where-land. Just because you garden doesn’t necessarily mean that it becomes consuming of your time. It is a great hobby in the sense that you can bring it to any degree you are comfortable with. For instance, if you prefer a few shrubs and rose bushes bordering your home, that is what works for you. The main importance is to choose something you can handle and care for. Because of technologies today, you really don't even need the earthy soil to plant in. You can have vast fields of garden treasures or even a terrarium on your porch.
Gardening can bring satisfaction of accomplishment to those who do so. It can also create a sense of achievement and greater knowledge to those who perfect the hobby, or art in some cases. As mentioned before, gardening has been a prestigious hobby where the field of knowledge is endless. The records of this hobby date back to 8,000 B.C., when in that time it was a way of survival and support in human’s lives. Today, gardening can be as time consuming as you want to make it or as expensive as you want to make it, but it will always remain a fulfilling and educational practice that is timeless.
Bibliography
1. A Brief History in Gardening. Organic Gardening. (Nov./Dec. 1999)Vol. 46. Issue 6.
2. History of Gardening in America. Horticulture. (Feb. 1993).Vol. 71. Issue 2. p.64.
3. Hedrick U. P. (1950). History of Horticulture in America to 1860. New York: Oxford University Press.
4. Leighton, A. (1976). American Gardens in the Eighteenth Century: “For use or for Delight.” Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
5. Olszowy D.R. (1978). Horticulture for the Disadvantaged and Disabled. Springfield, Ill.: Charles C. Thomas.
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