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
Through powerful personal experiences of history, Plimoth Patuxet tells the stories of the Wampanoag people and the English colonists who created a new society – in collaboration and in conflict – in the 1600s. Major exhibits include Mayflower, the historic Patuxet Wampanoag Homesite, the 17th-Century English Village, and the Plimoth Grist Mill. Located less than an hour’s drive south of Boston, and 15 minutes north of Cape Cod, the Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. A private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational institution, the Museum is supported by admission fees, donations, memberships, and revenue from a variety of educational programming, dining and gift shops. Plimoth Patuxet is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate and receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, private foundations, corporations, and local businesses. For more information, visit www.plimoth.org. Follow the Museum on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and Mayflower on Facebook and Instagram.