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GARDEN TOOLS OF
THE PAST
From the mini-exhibit Till,
Plant, Grow
Whereas the tools used to garden have remained
rather static throughout the past centuries, the style and function of gardens have changed over time.
Early colonial New England gardens focused
more on function than design - providing immigrants with herbs, vegetables, and flowers for dyes and fragrance.
These early gardens were typically fenced in and close to the house and tended by their owners. English immigrants
tended to grow leeks, onions, garlic, melons, English gourds, radishes, carrots, and cabbages.
In the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century
South, many slaves on plantations maintained their own small garden plots. Tended mostly by women, these gardens
typically yielded cabbages, collards, turnips, and corn. Since these crops supplemented slaves' diets at no expense
to their master, slave owners encouraged their slaves to grow them. The tending of such gardens, however, was carried
out in the evenings, only after slaves had finished a full day's work for their masters.
As settlements in America expanded in
the late 1700s, increasing numbers of wealthy Americans developed large, lavish gardens around their homes. These
gardens implemented theories of landscape design aimed at producing a particular visual effect, be it a series
of geometric patterns or a more "natural" presentation. Styles of gardens, therefore, were shaped not
only by topography and climate, but also by fluctuating fashions in horticulture. The resources available to estate
owners also determined the scale and content of a garden. An individual gardener could cultivate his or her own
small garden, but large estates required a significant number of laborers to shape the landscape. While the tools
these workers used still exist, their personal experiences are more difficult to document. |
These items reflect the diversity of tools
used to cultivate gardens. Many of them will
likely appear familiar to you because their design has changed little over time.
 Baskets
Wood
c. 19th century
Historically, basketmakers crafted their products with specific purposes in mind - from wide-open baskets for carrying
and gathering potatoes to sturdy large bins for hauling laundry.
Both made of wood, the smaller of these two baskets was used for holding berries while the larger was intended
for peaches. |
Although today's fruit baskets (particularly blueberry and strawberry containers) are usually made from plastic,
they often retain a traditional-looking design. |
Line Reels
Wood and Metal
c. 19th century |
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| Gardeners use line reels to demarcate a space within a garden or to set the dimensions of
the garden itself. The end of the reel is inserted in the ground, then the string on the top portion is pulled
until the gardener has unwound sufficient string to mark his or her line on the land. |
 Dibber
Wood with Brass Tip
c. 19th century
This garden tool has long been used to make holes in the earth for the planting of seeds, bulbs, and small plants.
The design of dibbers has changed little over time. At present, most dibbers still consist of wooden handles with
metal tips.
 Leatherworker's Stamps
Metal
c. 19th century
Used to emboss leather, these tools illustrate the influence of botanicals on the design of nineteenth-century
objects. Perhaps the popularity of floral motifs on fabrics and elsewhere was linked to the growing availability
of plant specimens in the United States following the American Revolution. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, America's
population and economy expanded. With these expansions came a growing American marketplace. Among the many new,
commercial establishments available to American consumers at this time were a growing number of nurseries. By the
mid-nineteenth century, nurseries carried a large variety of flowers from domestic growers as well as from foreign
sources such as Asia.
Sickle
Metal and Wood
c. 19th century
Unlike scythes, which are two-handed tools used with a swinging motion while standing upright, sickles are grass-cutting
devices used with one hand while bent toward the ground. Scythes are used to clear or mow large portions of grassy
land or grain fields, whereas sickles are intended to cut grass in small areas where the larger scythes cannot
reach.
Pruning Saw
Wood and Metal
c. 19th century
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Pruning saws continue to be essential tools for maintaining the health of trees and shrubs.
Pruning saws are still made with wooden handles, but plastic handles are now available as well. Professional gardeners
generally prefer wooden handles, as plastic does not protect their hands from the vibrations that occur when sawing.
The blades on this pruning saw are "lance-toothed" in contrast to the self-cleaning "tri-edged"
blades favored by many present-day gardeners. |
 Twybill
Wood and Metal
c. 19th century
This English gardening and agricultural tool was used for rough woodworking, cutting brush, and for making hurdles
- small, portable panels of wooden fencing made from small branches.
Twybills are similar in shape to mattocks, which exist in several different styles. Some mattocks are used to break
up earth and loosen roots in the ground; others weed and clear the soil.
Edger
Metal
c. 19th century |
This tool was originally attached to a wooden handle. Its purpose was to cut through the
grass and into the earth to form borders, and to trim the areas between lawn and paved surfaces such as walkways
and driveways. |
 Sheep Shears
Metal
c. 19th century |
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| Intended to cut grass, this tool derived its form, and hence its name, from the implement
used to shear sheep. |
Garden Shears
Metal and Leather
c. 19th century |
This small but handy tool is missing its opening spring. It was likely used for cutting flower stems and small
branches.
These shears are very close in design to modern garden shears, including the continued use of the leather handle
lock. |
Cornhuskers
Metal, Wood, and Leather
c. 19th century |
|
 Featured here are two styles of cornhuskers.
The all-metal version has an adjustable grip and is
ergonomically shaped to fit the right hand. Its pointed
end would grab the husk freeing it from the cob.
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The wood and leather cornhuskers performed the same task by being worn over the thumb, enabling the wearer to use
the wooden pegs to split the husk. |
Lori Beth Finkelstein
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