Remember the Ladies: Women Scientific Gardeners

Summary

In the history and archaeology of early Chesapeake gardens, there is an absence of the ladies. This paper seeks to reframe the discussion of "scientific gardening" to address the ways that assumptions about gender in the present can skew the presence of women in the past. It was not uncommon for the ladies of the house to be in control of the greenhouse and kitchen gardens of plantations. Despite this commonly female involvement in the cultivation and experimentation of plants, scientific gardening is often categorized as a male-dominated pursuit. Connections between women, such as Margaret Carroll at Mount Calvert and Elizabeth Lloyd at Wye House, show an exchange of knowledge and ideas within a network of expert gardeners. A combination of archaeological findings, historical records, and women-focused gardening manuals help us to remember the ladies.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions) 2017   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2017

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 712