Sowing the Seeds of History
A Local Favorite Returns: Plimoth Patuxet Museums’ Spring Heirloom Plant Sale
Plimoth Patuxet Museums will host its Spring Heirloom Plant sale on May 20, 21, 27, and 28 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each day. This event, a longtime favorite among the gardening community, boasts a bountiful selection of more than 70 types of heirloom species, including the Museum’s favorite heirloom herbs, vegetables, and flowers that are grown in the 17th-Century English Village. Over the past several months, the Museum’s horticulture staff and volunteers have propagated thousands of plants for the sale and for the Museum’s gardens. Visitors to Plimoth Patuxet Museums will see a progeny of plants that have been part of the history of this region and are well suited to thrive in this particular climate and soil. In the 17th-Century English Village, visitors will find vegetables and herbs that the Pilgrims would have brought over on the Mayflower. The Historic Patuxet Homesite exhibit highlights plants native to the area that are important to Indigenous culture.
Dr. Fred Dunford, the Museum’s Horticulture Lead and Public History Educator, notes some of the unusual vintage names of some of the plants that will be available at the Heirloom Plant Sale, including Pitseed Goosefoot, Agrimony, and European Feverfew. “These plants provide a sense of history as they have been handed down through the generations,” said Dr. Dunford, who is an archaeologist and gardener. “We’re so happy to share this incredible variety of heirloom plants with local gardeners. Every garden has a story and we hope that the story of history will continue with this unique plant sale.”
The sale will be held in Plimoth Patuxet Museums’ main parking lot, and knowledgeable horticulture staff will be on-hand to answer questions, discuss heirloom plants, and provide expert gardening tips. Proceeds from the sale will support the mission of Plimoth Patuxet Museums.
Admission to the sale is free. For more information and to view a full plant list, visit https://plimoth.org/events/spring-heirloom-plant-sale
About Plimoth Patuxet
Plimoth Patuxet is one of the Nation’s foremost living history museums. Founded in 1947, the Museum creates engaging experiences of history built on thorough research about the Indigenous and European people who met along Massachusetts' historic shores of change in the 1600s. Immersive and educational encounters underscore the collaborations as well as the cultural clash and conflicts of the 17th-century people of this region. Major exhibits include the Historic Patuxet Homesite, the 17th-Century English Village, Mayflower II, and Plimoth Grist Mill. A private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational institution, Plimoth Patuxet is supported by admission fees, donations, memberships, and revenue from a variety of educational programming, dining and gift shops. Plimoth Patuxet receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, private foundations, corporations, and local businesses. Located less than an hour’s drive south of Boston, and 15 minutes north of Cape Cod, the Museum is open daily from early spring through the Sunday after Thanksgiving. For more information, visit plimoth.org. Follow the Museum on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.