Well, I am sort of PA Dutch thru marriage. I married a Lancaster County boy and moved here from the city. I lived on my in-law's farm for the first 5 years of my marriage, and learned everything I could from watching my MIL, who is ex-Amish. She did exactly what her mother did before her. When I asked her why she was doing something, she always said, "Because that's what Mom did." I learned a lot from her, and she gave me a good foundation for my garden knowledge. She was into "getting things done", even if it meant spreading insecticide or herbicides. I still remember how awful the flowers looked with powdered Sevin all over them to stop the JB's. And I don't even want to talk about how many veggies I've poisoned and then eaten!! But don't you know, that's exactly what I did until I left the family farm.But as I grew more confident, and left the family farm, I learned more about organic gardening and the science behind gardening. That has shaped my gardening more today than what she has taught me.

Some of my roots are Pennsylvania Dutch. I don't garden based on anything they did. But I was delighted to find that my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather published some advice on growing peaches:

Pennsylvania Gazette April 19, 1786

JACOB COLEMAN, of Lower Merion township, Montgomery county, wishes to communicate to the public, thro' the channel of the English and German Newspapers, a mode to preserve the Peach-tree from being injured by species of worm, which for many years past has destroyed numbers of them in this and the neighboring states, viz.

Clear away the gum that issues out of the tree affected by the worm, strew a little quantity of flour of brimstone around the root, cover it lightly with fine mound, that it may not be blown away, yet so that the sun may operate through and cause the brimstone to fumigate, which destroys the worm. One pound of brimstone will be sufficient for near 200 trees. The same kind of sulphur he also found to be destructive to caterpillars [which at this season are beginning to prey on the orchards of apple-trees] viz. split the end of a pole or stick, put therein a few brimstone matches, set them on fire, and hold the pole under the nest, and the caterpillars will perish. A pole thus lighted will answer for three or four nests.

These experiments he hath tried with great success, and recommends them.

Melissas, if you have three young children that would put me in the same age group as your MILs mother. I do not think your MIL learned to use insecticides or herbicides from her mother. She may have made some independent decisions. In fact, I do not think they even had insecticides or herbicides in my grandparentÂs time. I still garden the same way as my grandparents as much as I can. I consider that way the true organic gardening not the contemporary organic gardening they promote today.


John

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal

John, Very impressive gardening journal! And I hope to dive into square foot gardening some day. I'll have to bookmark your journal for reference. My MIL now has Alzheimer's, but I can ask my FIL about the poisons. Your questions/comments have inspired me to check into my "gardening heritage". Happy gardening.
MelissaS.

My grandmother was "dutchy", and grew up on a Berks County farm. She was a Drebelibis. She kept a garden at her Laureldale home, both flowers ("flaars") and vegetables. I associate lilacs and peonies with Grandmom. When I was a toddler, I once pulled up all her onion sets. But her health deteriorated before I was old enough to pay attention to her methods.

My mother (now 80) spent summers on farms as a girl, and now gardens, but doesn't seem to think she follows Grandmom's methods - we had a subscription to Organic Gardening when I was a kid. My mom has had a compost pile for 40 years.

From our three generations, I don't think I can put my finger on any "Pennsylvania Dutch Methods." Were there particular practices you were interested in?

I am PA Dutch through my mother who was born in Perkasie PA. She was a great gardener and I learned a lot from her. She grew mostly vegetables and I grow mostly flowers now though. I still have a couple of rhubarb plants in my garden. I LOVE rhubarb! I think it was her love of gardening that most influenced me rather than her methods. She did become an Organic gardener and I loved reading her Organic Gardening magazines. It was in a small format back in the 70's and seemed to have more articles than the way it is now. She would grow her own lettuce and make wilted lettuce with hot bacon dressing! Yummm!!! My Grandmother lived with us and she would tell us all about growing up on a farm and how they would toast their own dried sweet corn. I still make Copes dried corn at Thanksgiving too.
Joann