Other Master Gardener Gardens

The Pergola at the Falling Spring Nursing Home Garden

The Franklin County Master Gardeners are also involved in two other gardens in the Chambersburg area, the Falling Spring Nursing Home Garden, and the John Brown House Historic Kitchen Garden.

The Falling Spring Nursing Home Garden is located next door to the Extension Office, behind the Nursing Home building itself.  The garden was first designed and installed in 1996. It underwent a major redesign and renovation in 2004, and won the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Best Public Garden award in 2006. This garden provides a lovely, restful spot for residents and visitors to the Falling Spring Nursing home. Master Gardeners and managers of the nursing home work with Occupational Services, Inc. to maintain the garden.

A walkway circles around the planted area

These two pictures above were taken by Anne Finucane on June 13, 2011.





MG Donna Berard ties up tomato plants
 using torn sheets as supports

 The John Brown House Historic Kitchen Garden is located on King Street in Chambersburg between 2nd and 3rd street.  It is the former home of Mrs. Ritner, a widow who ran it as a Boarding House in the 1860's.  One of her boarders was John Brown, who planned the raid at Harpers Ferry from this location.

Franklin County Master Gardeners researched historic kitchen gardens from that time period, and worked with Dr. Doris Goldman of the Renfrew German 4 Square Garden in Waynesboro to establish a demonstration kitchen garden using plants and materials authentic to the period.

Each year, Master Gardeners start seeds of historic varieties for planting in the garden.

More information here and here.

Cabbages, Pole Beans, and 2nd year Parsnips

Parsnips, a root crop, are biennial.  The tall plants in the background are 2nd year parsnips going to seed.  These will be saved and used in the spring for the 2012 planting, just as was done in the 1860's.

Some of the more unusual plants we're growing this year that were more popular in the 1860's include salsify and cardoon.