Explore Southold Historical Museum's Herb Garden
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's Maple Lane Complex is a representation of the types of herbs a household might've grown.
The educational component of the garden was created through 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 at 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 our Colonial Herb Garden. We are truly grateful to be the recipients of Carol and Cara’s project.”
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 their project 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.