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Have you ever driven by an abandoned house and wanted to investigate the gardens? Would you take a shovel into these deserted gardens? Before you do that, stop a minute and think...
Before life was so busy, before every minute of every day was filled with work, ladies club meetings, golfing, piano lessons, ballet, gymnastics, karate, soccer and baseball, there was time for a family to climb in the car on Sunday afternoon and take a leisurely drive in the country.
Those drives gave way to insightful conversations between family members. Relaxed moments enabled a family to share with each other the ups and downs of daily life. It also brought the family together in a way that strengthened their bond. With no outside hindrances, the family was able to concentrate only on each other.
Quiet country road in northwest Florida.
Driving through the country was, and is still, full of surprising finds. It is inevitable that rising from the overgrown hedges and brambles along the roadside, will be an old homestead. A place where a family once lived and loved. Imagining their lives in the dilapidated old house is not difficult because there are clues to be found scattered about the yard and fields.
Here is an old home place in the panhandle of Florida that my daughter and I found while riding around one day. I fell in love with this place. It was so grown up, vines, bushes and brambles had taken over everything. The morning glories on the fence were so vivid, I couldn't believe the color was real.
Here is a view of the side yard of the house above. Wading the weeds here would mean wearing boots and jeans for protection from the critters that might be slithering through the weeds with you.
Here is a view of the same house from the road. there is actually a fence running across the front there, under all those bushes and weeds.
Concentrated close to the house are remnants of flower beds along the sagging front porch. Behind the house, just off the back doorsteps, a weed entangled herb garden can barely be made out. Shrubs of all sorts are scattered around, still blooming as if still trying to please the woman that planted them long ago. Morning Glory vines and native roses wrap around every porch post, the rotting clothes line poles, trees and even an old rusty tractor out by the barn.
A ride in the country brings history to life when you see old farms like these two, photographed in Tennessee.
Near the barn, the remnants of a vegetable garden can be made out by following the leaning fence posts that, no doubt, were used to hold the wire that enclosed it. Leaning against the barn there is a hoe, pick axe, hand plow and other rusty tools that have not been used in decades. Further out on the other side of the barn, you spot an orchard, hip deep in weeds.
Someone took a lot of time and care to create what must have been a lovely homestead at one time. Your first instinct, as an avid gardener, may be to ‘rescue' some of the plants on this abandoned property, giving them a new home in your well-manicured yard. After all, it seems as if no one cares about it, nor, have they in many years. Before you grab your shovel out of the trunk of your car, there are other ways to have pieces of these flowers in your yard.
This Oak Leaf Hydrangea can be found growing wild on homesteads everywhere.
The first thing to know is, though empty and abandoned, this property belongs to someone. The children or grandchildren of the original inhabitants may very well live just a few doors down or, in the next town over.
You will need permission to remove anything from the property. Check with the nearest neighbors, they will usually know and be happy to share what they know, with you. After all, they are country folks, and you will find they are always friendly.
Once you have permission to be there, you will want to take as little as you can. By this I mean, take seeds rather than dig the entire plant. Take cuttings from plants that you can root at home. Tuberous plants and those which grow from rhizomes can be split so as to leave the majority behind, this way they can continue to grow and multiply. Most neglected fruit orchards will have a thick ground cover of seedlings beneath them.
Here is an heirloom rose that can be found climbing fences in the country. This can also be used as a living fence.
This pretty little Sweet William is another example of an heirloom flower you might find on a homestead.
Below are a few plants that are considered heirloom and can be found at most homesteads across the country. Of course, different zones will have their own unique plant life.
Alyssum Aster Baby Blue Eyes Baby's Breathe Beautyberry bushes Bells of Ireland Black-eyed Susan Blueberry bushes Butterfly bushes Calendula Canna's Cherry trees (saplings) Chinese Lanterns Clarkia Columbine Confederate Rose bushes Coreopsis Daylilies Delphinium Dill Forget-Me-Nots
Four-O'clocks Goat's Rue Grandpa Ott Morning Glories Grape vines Hollyhocks Hydrangea bushes Johnny Jump-Ups Nasturtiums Onion (multiplying) Peach trees (saplings) Plum trees (saplings) Rosemary Sage Spirea bushes (bridal wreath) Sweet Peas Sweet William Trumpet Creeper Vine Turk's Cap Weigela bushes Yarrow
Take your camera with you when you go to collect plants. Think what a wonderful memory book you could create using pictures of the old home place alongside pictures of the new home that you have given the plants.
Take pictures of the home, barn, outbuildings and all of the overgrown gardens. If you can find neighbors willing to tell you about them, include stories of the original occupants and their family. Compare and contrast their lives with that of your own family.
This will be a great way to share with your children and grandchildren just how different life is from generation to generation.
Happy Gardening~
"Pluck not the wayside flower; It is the traveler's dower." ~William Allingham
I'm a native Floridian...feet planted in the shifting sands of northwest FL. but my heart strings are tightly knotted to the hills of Tennessee.
I live my poodle, Minnie Pearl, Zsa Zsa the cat who runs the whole show and a new addition, Kitty Belle.
I'm a writer, gardener, quilter, cross stitcher, soapmaker and nature lover. Mother to 3 wonderful daughters & Nana to 6 perfect grandchildren.
I also write for Suite101 and was promoted to Feature Writer in the vegetable gardens section in 2008.
Posted by rosiemyrosie (from Roseburg, OR) on July 7, 2008 at 1:08 PM:
Wonderful article, heart warming for the potential memories. Young people can benefit from such an experience with an adult or parent guide. As I have traveled the United States and foreign countries over a long life time, searching out abandoned old homes, castles, forts, and such has been a very moving experience when one thinks about of the lives of the former inhabitants. The reality that my holly hock in back yard will likely be bringing forth beautiful blooms long after I am gone is a most humbling reality.
You story was wonderful and brought many good memories to my mind.
Thank you so much !
Oberfeldwebel
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Posted by libellule (from Fountain, FL) on July 7, 2008 at 2:34 PM:
I'm so happy you enjoyed the article and that it brought back good memories for you.
It is nice to think that the heirloom plants I have here will go on long after me for others to enjoy.
I would love to see castles...all that history! lucky you :-)
Jackie
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Subject: Yes. No shovels!
Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on July 7, 2008 at 11:17 AM:
thank you for reminding us about the ethics of plant "rescue". here in Alabama there are people who will come right up into your yard and dig up your treasured plants. There are some people who would not think of buying a plant or growing it from seed or cuttings - they want a stolen plant.
I believe a true gardener is an ethical person, not a thief. Ask the owner. Usually there is a neighbor who can give you a telephone number. Or, limit what you take to seeds and cuttings.
In some places in Alabama, the owners do not mind shooting at people trespassing on their property. That abandoned house may be not so abandoned afterall.
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Posted by libellule (from Fountain, FL) on July 7, 2008 at 11:53 AM:
Gloria,
I do hate all those huge holes left behind where people take entire plants.
Not that I wouldn't like to have the ten foot high 'whatever'.
For the most part, gardeners are always willing to share a little piece of their treasures with you, if only you ask.
Jackie
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Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on July 7, 2008 at 12:31 PM:
Thanks.
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Posted by KyWoods (from Melbourne, KY) on July 7, 2008 at 4:03 PM:
I agree, it's only right to make an honest attempt to get permission. It could be that there is family somewhere who just can't face the painful memories of going back to the home of the loved ones they lost. And true, not everyone in the country looks kindly upon strangers! I know of some around here that are mentally ill and drink, and I hear them shooting targets quite often (at least I hope it's targets...)!
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Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on July 7, 2008 at 4:24 PM:
Hello, KyWoods. Yes there are those who might shoot trespassers because they are on the sauce. There are also those who might shoot trespassers because they want to protect their property.
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Posted by libellule (from Fountain, FL) on July 7, 2008 at 4:38 PM:
LOL..you hope it's targets.
Well, deep in the woods, it could be anything or anyone.
I never go into a place that doesn't appear 'neighborly' (sp). I never go down long private driveways, overgrown places that you know someone lives in..that type of place is usually where the 'shooters' are.
Most of the time, I'm friendly. but I'm also not above pulling out a deer rifle out here in the country. ;-)
Jackie
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Posted by gizmo06 (from Port Jervis, NY) on July 9, 2008 at 10:45 AM:
I would like to tell you how this kind of behavior hurts people, after my father passed away someone took several plants from his yard, I was accused of doing this by one of my siblings. It was just another hurt on top of everything else that was going on at that time. Everyone should be respectful of other peoples property.
Arlene
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Posted by libellule (from Fountain, FL) on July 9, 2008 at 11:20 AM:
Arlene,
I'm very sorry to hear that happened to you.
That is one of the reasons I stressed to find out who owns an empty property and then, once you have permission, take less, rather than more.
Jackie
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Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on July 9, 2008 at 11:31 AM:
As an archeologist it was often my job as part of a survey crew to walk over much of rural Alabama, Tennessee and S. Carolina.
We were shot at a few times in spite of very careful attempts to get clearance to walk people's property. We weren't taking anything, just recording what was there. Surveys do not involve collecting materials, just mapping and records. (we did record a few stills where we saw them).
I learned first hand, that private property is private property and people who would gladly offer access to their property or seeds and cuttings if you asked would as soon shoot you (more likely shoot over your head) if you didn't.
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Posted by libellule (from Fountain, FL) on July 9, 2008 at 11:38 AM:
True, that..
I'd love to see some of your findings from you time in TN, Gloria.
Jackie
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Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on July 9, 2008 at 11:50 AM:
Those would be mainly the Hartsville Nuclear Plant Site published by TVA. It was a 4 year project.
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Posted by libellule (from Fountain, FL) on July 9, 2008 at 12:02 PM:
I'll look it up. :-)
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Posted by KyWoods (from Melbourne, KY) on July 9, 2008 at 2:28 PM:
Wow--scary! Stills, too? lol
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Subject: The 'ole home place
Posted by patpenney (from Crossville, TN) on July 7, 2008 at 9:41 AM:
Jackie,
Thanks so much for taking me on this journey with you! I felt like I use to feel when you and I would take those drives. God willing we will again. In the meantime I will just read and reread this article.
Love
Pat
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Posted by libellule (from Fountain, FL) on July 7, 2008 at 9:58 AM:
Hey Pat,
Jeannette and I had that kind of day, the day we found this house...it's over toward G'ville and B'fay. We were almost in Alabama..lol
Jackie
