The Good Old Days

For the past 15 years, I've researched what makes the midwest American garden so unique. I've collected old catalogs, books and photographs, many of which are more than 120 years old.  But some things, like this beautiful 1893 Vaughan's Seed Store catalog from Chicago, can only be found in the archives of The Morton Arboretum Library in Lisle, Illinois.  Check out www.mortonarb.org

I love the marketing that went on in Victorian-era seed catalogs.  Some things never change. The so-called simple flowers of old gardens were not that simple. Gardeners back then were bombarded with newer, bigger, better, more colorful annuals. There was an incredible influx of plants and seeds brought into the U.S. The canna lily flower on the cover is spectacular (and a trendy plant again for today's tropical-inspired gardens). But, it's the slogan, "Gardening is an employment for which no man is too high or too low" that hits home. In other words, send us 35 cents and we'll send you seeds for some of the newest annuals so that your tiny garden can look just like the big estate gardens. 

This particular catalog was issued the year of the 1893 Columbian Exposition--the World's Fair--in Chicago.  “Opening the Vaults: Wonders of the 1893 World’s Fair” is a special exhibit at Chicago's Field Museum, which will run through Sept. 7, 2014. Now, you can get a rare view inside The Field Museum’s vaults to see incredible artifacts that bring to life one of the most spectacular events in the Windy City’s history.

 The Field Museum is at1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago; 312-922-9410, fieldmuseum.org.