The 1812 Garden at Historic Fort Osage

The garden at Fort Osage, Sibley Missouri, began in its current form in 2009. Sally and Dave Bennett, began the garden with only Spear mint and Chocolate mint, left over from an old garden, taken down during the construction of the Fort Osage Education center / Visitors center.  Originally, there were "Officers" and "Soldier's" gardens, and field crops of corn for the "Public stock."  2009 was occupied with building the soil up, and adding more perennial herbs, including:  sage, tansy, lemon balm, English mint.  In 2010, the garden received a face lift, with 9 raised beds, laid out in a geometric style, based on the gardens at Fort Dearborn, Chicago and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Seeds saved from 2009, started about 40% of the 2010 crops.  Saved seeds from 2010 include: Basil, Cow's horn's Okra, Dutch Brown Lettuce, Bath Cos Lettuce, Winter China radish, Black Spanish radish, French Striped Marigold, Diablo Cosmos, Fennel, Cayenne Pepper, Bird Pepper. Research conducted in 2008-2009 settled upon an "Officers garden" for interpretation at the fort. Seed sources include Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Mansfield, Missouri; Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Mineral, Virginia; Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, Monticello, Virginia; Seed Savers Exchange, Decorah, Iowa; Seeds of Change, Heirloom; Comstock Ferry Heirloom.  See a picture slideshow of the garden below.

Join us, as the garden embarks on a 200 year journey, to restore it to its 1812 glory.
Page updated 13 November, 2011

2011 Garden:

Asparagus: Jersey Supreme. Two year old roots planted in May 2010. First harvest 2011.

Bean:
Lazy Housewife pole Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)  1810 First string-less green beans. SSE
Jacob's Cattle Bush Bean (Phaseolus vugaris) 18th century, popular in northern New England as a dried bean. SOC
Shackamaxon pole bean  1800 Quaker - New Jersey / Philadelphia - older native American bean. Sowed 2010, saved seeds.
Painted Pony bush beans  19th century  SSE

Beets:
Early Blood Turnip-rooted (Beta vulgaris cv.)   19th Century TJ
Golden  19th century before 1820  CF

Brussels Sprout:
Long Island Improved (Brassica oleracea) 19th Century SSE

Cabbage:
Early Jersey Wakefield (Brassica oleracea capitata cv.) 19th Century. TJ
Perfection Drumhead Savoy Before 1820. Dark green with wrinkled leaves.  CF

Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) 1790 Related to Globe Artichokes, perennial.

Carrots:
Danvers Half Long (Daucus carota) SSE

Celery Tender crisp   BC

Stowell's Evergreen  Corn (Zea mays) Early 1800's  CF

Cucumber:
West India Gherkin 1793   CF
Lemon 19th Century, pictured in still life paintings by the Peale's cira 1805  Sowed 2009, saved seeds.   BC

Flowers:
 Bachelor Button Blue Boy (Centaurea cyanus)
 Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Perennial.
Dame"s Rocket (Aesperis matronalis) "Sweet Rocket" since 1600 TJ 
Diablo Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus) 18th Century, native to Mexico. Sowed in 2010, seed saved.  SSE
China Pink (Dianthus chimensis) 1807 TJ Sowed 2010, perennial.
French "striped" Marigold (Tagetes patula)  Illustrated in Curtis' Botanical Magazine in 1791. Sowed 2010, saved seed 2011. Perennial. TJ
Fringed Pink (Diathus superbus) 1795 TJ Sowed 2010, perennial.
Josephs Coat (Amarathus tricolor) 1786 TJ
Lavender Munstead
Love in a Mist (Nigella damascena) 1570 English.  SSE
Love Lies Bleeding (Amaranthus caudatis)
Lemon Bergamot (Monarda citriodora) 18th Century Native southern US  SOC
Nasturtion  TJ
Zinnia

Garlic

Herbs:
Basil   1790   TJ   Sowed 2009, Saved Seed.
Chives  (Allium tuberosum) perennial.
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) purple, is native to the central United States, identified during the Lewis and Clark expedition 1804-1806, collected and sent east to Bernard McMahon's nursery in Philadelphia. perennial.
Lavender
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) 1551, 1794 TJ Sowed 2009, perennial.
Sweet Marjoram   BC
Plain Leaf Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) "common" 1774 TJ Sowed 2010 & 2011, perennial.
Rosemary
Rue (Ruta graveolens) Medicinal, nervous disorders and cramps.  18th Century. SOC
Sage (Salvia officinalis) 1794 TJ Sowed 2009, perennial.
Sorrel (Rumex scutatus) Highly acidic, French type, often used with fish. Sowed 2010, perennial.
Summer Savory (Aatureja hortensis) 18th Century
Garden Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) 1794 TJ  Sowed 2009, perennial.

Scotland Leek (Allium ampeloprasum) 18th Century

Lettuce:
Arugula, "Garden rocket" 16th century, leaves become spicy or hot to taste.  TJ
Bath Cos 18th Century English variety of Romaine lettuce. TJ
Brown Dutch Before 1731, 1809 TJ
Tennis Ball (Lactuca sativa) 17th century, Frequently pickled for winter use. TJ


Okra:
Cow's Horn (Hibiscus esculentus)  18th Century, TJ

Onion:
Red Wethersfield (Allium cepa)  Before 1830  SSE

Peas

Parsnips

Pepper:
Bull Nose Sweet Pepper 1809 Jefferson. Bell type.   CF
Long Red Cayenne   Grown by Jefferson 1767 at Shadwell. TJ Sowed 2009, seeds saved.
McMahon's Texas Bird  1812  Seeds sent to Bernard McMahon, who popularized it as a potted Pepper. Spaniards used the peppers ground to a fine pepper, Americans pickled the green pods.

Potatoes:
Nicola German 19th Century Yellow skin tuber with light yellow flesh.

Long Island Cheese Pumkin

Radish:
Round Black Spanish  16th Century, SOC Sowed 2010, seeds saved.

Spinach:
Bloomsdale Early 19th Century
Prickly-seeded (Spinacia oleracea)  1809 TJ

Alpine Strawberry Sowed 2010, produced flowers 2nd year. TJ

Sweet Potatoes  

Tomato:
Brandywine 1809
Purple Calabash (Lycopersicon) 1809 TJ

Seed History Research:
1783 - March 24 "It is recommended to the troops to make regimental gardens for the purpose of raising greens and vegetables for their own use, and, in order to collect a sufficient quantity of seeds, commanding officers of regiments will give passes to as many trusty soldiers as they may judge necessary to go into the country..." General Headquarters, Newburgh, NY.

1807 - February 3
"One Box seed, Spanish Onion, Strasburgh onion, Salmon Radish, London Radish, Dutch Turnip, Stone Turnip, yellow fall Turnip, large fall Turnip, parsnip, orange carrot, long red Beet, York cabbage, Sugar Loaf Cabbage, Drum head cabbage, Savoy Cabbage, cabbage lettuce, Dutch lettuce, Grand Admiral Lettuce, Early Golden hot spur peas, Glory of England peas, Early speckled Dwarf Beans, yellow Beans, Sage, Squash, long squash, Mellon, Cucumber, Sweet Marjorane, Basil, Balm, Asparagus, Mary Gold." Fort Wayne, Indiana