Fort de Chartres Heritage Garden

Un journal d'un Jardin Potager du Pays des Illinois

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La promesse d’un jardin

24 March, 2020 / / 0 Comments

24 mars 2020 mercredi

46 degrees, Rain

10 mph, NNE wind

Work to be done in March

Sieur Louis Liger d’Auxerre., “The compleat florist” Illustration

In wet Earths Plant all sorts of Trees in this Month, as Pear-Trees, Apple-Trees, Peach-Trees, Apricok-Trees and Plum-Trees…

Towards the End of the Month Sow in the naked Earth, all sorts of Salleting-Seeds, except Golden Purslane, and also Seeds of Edible Roots.

Sprinkle Mould over the Beds you have Sown, and Plant Asparagus.

Tho’ you had Sown Peas in November and December, Sow more now, to have some when the first are gone.

-Francois Gentil, Le jardinier solitaire. 1706

The arrival of spring traditionally brings promise to the Illinois Country as plant life begins to emerge in its fields, meadows, and gardens. The appearance of these plants follows the lengthening hours of daylight and the warming temperatures, delivering welcome relief from a long winter and ease for our spirits. The change in seasons brings the awakening of life which is particularly important in this time of uncertainty. The Covid-19 pandemic is changing the fabric of our everyday life, both economically and socially. As one endeavors to stay healthy and safe, concern is felt for all, hoping for health and steadfastness in these disquieting times.

Barbeau’s Creek, Prairie du Rocher, Illinois. J. C. Wild, 1842

Over the centuries, the region has experienced the heartache and fear of widespread illness and epidemics. Noted historian Dr. Margaret Kimball Brown relays in her book, History As They Lived It, A Social History of Prairie du Rocher, Ill., the toll these illnesses took on communities:

An epidemic of some sort hit the village of Chartes in 1746-47. Although Prairie du Rocher itself seems to have been spared, some of the people affected at the village of Chartres owned farmland in the commonfields of Prairie du Rocher… There is no information what the disease was, but many of the deaths were said to be sudden. It also was reported in 1749 that, “in the last two years epidemic diseases carried off a good many of the inhabitants.”*

Because the families were interrelated and the villages were small enough so that all were acquainted, this would have been a shock for all communities. Several of these persons were prominent citizens, so the fabric of the villages was affected by their loss.

We are not the first, nor will we be the last, to experience such tragedy. One can imagine, in the early history of our communities, the importance of horticultural pursuits in times of crisis. The first colonists to North America were gardeners by necessity. The only food source was what they managed to grow and produce for themselves. Their gardens and the native plants found in the surrounding countryside functioned as a living pantry, providing the food and medicine for survival. While our immediate food and medicine supplies might be a bit challenging to secure in our current health crisis, they are nonetheless possible, an issue of access rather than supply. Although we might struggle with the prudent constraints that have been placed throughout society, the hope is that we all can find ways to mentally and physically be challenged and productive over the coming weeks.

Early Spring Potager bed layout.

While restricted from time spent in the Fort jardin potager, my thoughts turn to preparing the designs and plans for the garden season ahead, a season that waits for no gardener. As bed layouts are finalized for some of the Fort’s jardin beds for early spring, the finished design is shared here for those who might be interested to explore and learn using our local garden history as a guide. Learn how companion planting contributed to the overall success of gardens over the centuries and how heritage plants themselves have a rich story and contribution to offer for sustenance and health. As we move through the weeks and months ahead, new seasonal designs for the jardin potager will be shared here on this blog. These designs are offered for the use and information of those seeking some guidance in their garden endeavors.

As we amend the garden soil with compost, aged manure, or other natural additions, we can begin to plant early spring vegetables now in late March. All the plant varieties listed in the jardin’s bed designs have been successfully grown in Zone 5b of the Illinois Country. The garden layouts will be based on the For de Chartres Jardin’s French Colonial heritage seed collection available on the website of the Heart of Illinois Country Shop. The plant varieties used in these garden layouts are heirloom, but please feel free to adjust these suggested heirlooms to modern vegetable varieties, if that is your desire. The early spring garden bed designs are meant to give guidance as to companion planting suggestions for the season. Also, if one would like to grow early spring vegetable varieties not shown in these designs, feel free to substitute and adjust the design as needed. Design substitution suggestions include leeks for onions, brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, turnips) for the cabbages and kale, and other root crops for carrots or radishes. The raised bed sizes shown in the layout is 4’ x 12’, as generally used in the Fort de Chartres jardin potager. Please change the size of the layout beds to fit your garden needs. The design is meant to be a guide and a suggestion.

Offered here is the Early Spring jardin potager layout and as well as additional historical garden plant information, including the use of vegetable as early medicine is also available.

Downloadable garden PDF files are available here:

Early Spring Garden Design Layout

Early Spring Vegetable as Medicine

Jardin Potager Plant Varieties and History

These files are offered free for general use, in keeping with the Fort de Chartres Heritage Jardin Potager mission of sharing with the community.  Need a few seeds?  If anyone is in need of a small amount of the garden’s free sample seasonal heirloom seed packets (limit 6) or a print of the Early Spring Garden Design Layout, send inquiries and requests to heritage@fdcjardin.com. To view some of the seed types available, visit the Jardin Layout page. Just ask and will gladly share, if available.

Interested in joining this garden’s efforts to give back to our community and aid the Garden’s seed mission? Consider a simple donation for these efforts via the Fort de Chartres Jardin Potager or Les Amis du Fort de Chartres Facebook pages.  A new fundraiser has been posted and shared on those pages to help those in this time of need, with the assistance of Les Amis du Fort de Chartres.  For every $5 donated, $3 will be donated to the Prairie du Rocher Student Council Food Pantry. The remaining $2 will benefit the Fort de Chartres Heritage Jardin Potager Project to help to continue the project’s efforts to offer free sample seed packets.  Support for this effort is appreciated. To donate by mail, contact heritage@fdcjardin. As always, the Fort de Chartres Heritage Jardin Potager Project thanks Les Amis du Fort de Chartres for their support.

For those readers interested in the French Colonial heirloom seed collections already listed on Les Amis’ Heart of Illinois County website, they can be found at the following link: Fort de Chartres Heritage Seed Collections.

The desire to connect and aid each other is never stronger than in times of challenge and crisis. The hope remains that we can support each other and offer assistance through positive actions. What is more uplifting than encouraging our community and gardening, cultivating new life that enriches body, mind, and spirit? Thank you for your support for our community and this heritage garden project.

Merci.

Carol Kuntz,

La Jardiniere

Fort de Chartres Heritage Garden Project

*Pease and Jenison, 1940, 103.

IDNR State Parks and Historic Sites Temporary Closure-Covid-19

17 March, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Illinois Department of Natural Resources announces the  closure of Illinois State Parks and Historic Sites, which includes Fort de Chartres State Historic Site, in response to the current Covid-19 health emergency. Work in the Fort de Chartres Heritage Garden is currently suspended until the site reopens. The garden work continues through continuing research and the starting of heritage seeds in a home setting, preparing for the site’s eventual reopening. Thank you for your understanding. Please stay safe in this time of caution and protection of personal health and the health of all the members our communities.

Heritage Garden Seed Packets

Remember, being outside and working on our home gardens and properties can lift our spirits and help us prepare for the garden season ahead.  You can purchase the Fort de Chartres’ jardin potager’s 5 heritage garden seed collections for your garden and now is a perfect time to plan and begin this year’s garden journey. To view the Fort de Chartres Jardin Potager Heritage Seed Collections, please visit The Heart of the Illinois County Shop. Merci!

 

 

 

Update from Fort de Chartres Site Superintendent Shawn Chesnek:

IDNR press release

Effective Immediately: Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Closes All State Sites

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To further prevent the spread of COVID-19, and in accordance with the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation issued on March 9, 2020, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) today announced the closure of all state parks, fish and wildlife areas, recreational areas, and historic sites as well as the cancellation of upcoming scheduled events.

IDNR will work tirelessly with the Governor’s office and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to provide information as to the schedule for safely reopening our facilities.

All Illinoisans impacted by a cancellation or closure are encouraged to call the IDNR’s Parks Administrative Information Line Monday – Friday at 217-782-6752. A complete listing of state sites can be found on the IDNR website at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/Pages/default.aspx or https://www2.illinois.gov/…/Experi…/Sites/Pages/Default.aspx.

For more information on COVID-19, visit the IDPH website at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/. You may also contact the IDPH at DPH.SICK@Illinois.gov or call the COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-889-3931.

Fort de Chartres Jardin Potager 5th Annual Heirloom Seed Swap-Postponed

26 January, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Disappointing to be sure, but will look forward to sharing the jardin and its seeds when the event can be rescheduled!

Postponed!

UPDATE: Seed Swap postponed! Due to circumstances beyond our control, we will be postponing the 5rh Annual Fort de Chartres Jardin Potager Heirloom Seed Swap. Between the cold and predicted all day rain, combined with recent health guidelines, it seems best to postpone this garden event until circumstances are more favorable. It would be a shame to hold the event to have only a few people attend, so we look forward to rescheduling this Les Amis’ Art de vivre event to a date when people are more likely to attend and we can be outside demonstrating in the garden. Keep an eye out for a reschedule date, hopefully in April. Your understanding is appreciated and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Fort de Chartres State Historic Site remains open to the general public and work in the garden will continue as always. In between the rain, of course ; ) Please share with those who might have been planning or interested in attending. Thanks so much!

Please follow the Fort de Chartres Heritage Garden’s Facebook page.  Questions?  Please email heritage@fdcjardin.com.

L’année inondée du pays de l’Illinois

29 November, 2019 / / 2 Comments

American Bottom November 2019 (CK)

29 novembre 2019 vendredi

42 degrees, Rain

3 mph, E wind

The inundated year of the Illinois Country. The annual summary of the Fort’s jardin must reflect a very perplexing and diminished garden year in the Illinois Country. This jardin potager accounting rambles a bit through time and space, thus I am begging your indulgence. The Fort garden summary echoes other garden reports across the region that recount early shortened growing seasons due to cool temperatures and persistent rain followed by flooding rains and rising creek and river surges to be followed by mid-to-late heat and dryness in the autumn. The year’s conclusion is now fast approaching, hastened by recent rains and a snow accompanied by record-setting frigid temperatures. Such weather extremes is nothing new in our region as historically Le Pays des Illinois has both suffered and benefited from its location near the powerful Mississippi River and the nearby confluences of the great Missouri and Ohio Rivers. This year was one of challenge. To the plus, river flooding creates fertile alluvial bottomland soil resulting in the successful crops grown there throughout centuries. Bountiful harvests grown in this rich soil are transported along these super waterways feeding this continent and beyond. To the negative, the risk of living so close to such immense power is the exposure to the mighty Mississippi and the region’s other large rivers’  periodic flooding due to extreme weather conditions in the middle of North America. The excess water from these floods spills across fields, homes, and farmland and is drawn downward following the continental watery path to the Gulf of Mexico. Author M. J. Morgan, in his 2010 publication Land of Big Rivers: French and Indian Illinois, 1699-1778, gives an account of these floods during the French Colonial era:

Falling Spring Near Cahokia, Illinois by J.C. Wild, published 1842

“The major floods of the Mississippi, those inundated years of 1725, 1772, and 1785, are dramatically recorded. The flood of 1785, remembered by many French and Americans alike as the “greatest of the last century,” forced the French of Kaskaskia and Cahokia up to bluffs and swept away the western walls of stone Fort Chartres near Prairie du Rocher. To the French, 1785 was the Year of the Great Waters. Accounts abound of George Rogers Clark’s 1779 march to Vincennes, when he and his men waded thigh, waist, and shoulder-deep in icy water much of the way. Yet little appears in routine military and political correspondence about the daily role of water in this common riverine world. The action of the Mississippi, fed not only the swollen tributary flow from the Missouri but by consistent hydrologic cycles of rains and waterfalls, routinely affected the lives of humans. In 1765, for instance, notarial records for Kaskaskia list an auction of a house and lot at New Chartres, soon to be washed away by the Mississippi.”*

After the prolonged absence from the Fort during the flooding emergency of late winter through mid-summer, the return to the garden in late July after a five-week lapse was made with some fear of the garden’s soggy condition.  Weeds grew large and with abandon in the raised beds in their determined effort to create a garden coup. Delightfully, there was still beauty to be discovered in the jardin’s flowers blooming uninhibitedly throughout the same raised beds. Much work was needed to push back the garden’s wildness but this gardener was simply grateful that the jardin remained whole and intact. The garden is supported solely by this gardener and outside funding. Any damage caused by flooding would be a severe set-back and difficult to impossible to repair.  So this gratefulness came with the full realization that it could have been so much worse. Our hearts go out to those not so fortunate and whose homes and lives were uprooted and devastated by the floodwaters. A sincere thank you to all of those who worked so hard to protect the area and the Fort site from further harm; thank you to federal, state, and local governments and agencies, along with area residents and businesses for their hard work protecting this historic area and the levee districts in the region.

April 2019 flooding (CK)

Returning to the site after the reopening of the Prairie du Rocher flood gates, the jardin welcomed us in its flowery and weed-filled wildness to a bountiful crop of heirloom beets and carrots, the seeds were sown late winter just as the rains began in earnest. Garden volunteers Sabre Deterding and George Kuttererer, along with site staff Tim Helms, assisted in clearing the overgrown raised beds of their weeds and the expired spring crops over the following late summer months. August and September proved to be contrarily dry with much heat and the work of watering the remaining plantings was essential, performed in tandem with the weeding efforts. The espaliered heritage apple trees needed severe pruning to return to form as the saturated ground encouraged excessive growth and no fruit. The area of the large melon bed beyond the fruit trees became totally overgrown with the levee’s Bermuda grass and will require much effort in the new year to recover from its current condition.

Garden run amok, early June 2019 (CK)

While the garden was in stasis over the summer, it allowed time and effort to be spent creating two new garden bed projects in Prairie du Rocher. These new garden endeavors helped this impatient and anxious gardener to continue the Illinois Country’s heritage garden journey during and despite the lack of access to the Fort’s jardin potager. The new Creole House Herb Bed and Prairie du Rocher Village Hall beds were planted and grew strong and true over the summer on the other side of the Prairie du Rocher flood gates-celebrating the rich heritage of this Illinois Country historic community’s fast approaching 300th anniversary.  The Fort jardin potager project is proud to support these Prairie du Rocher heritage garden efforts with seeds and plants from the Fort garden. Thank you to Colleen Schilling at the Creole House for her hard work in the site’s new herb bed and many thanks to the Village of Prairie du Rocher for buying new plants for their beds and their village workers for assisting in the upkeep of their newly planted beds throughout the summer. If anyone would like to volunteer for these two new projects in Prairie du Rocher in 2020, please reach out to heritage@fdcjardin.com.

Colleen Schilling, Creole House Herb Garden 2019

Over these same summer months, other garden opportunities arose to promote the deep French Colonial Illinois Country garden history. It was wonderful to be invited to speak at the annual Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve’s Fall History Conference in September and again at the Randolph County Retired Teachers Association in Chester mid-October. Earlier in the summer, a Fort de Chartres Heritage Garden presentation was given to the Jefferson County Master Gardener’s Chapter in Hillsboro, MO. It is always special sharing information and meeting with interested individuals and groups about our French Colonial garden history. The text of my Ste. Genevieve’s Fall History Conference’s presentation can be found at this link: French Colonial Kitchen Gardens of North America and the Illinois Country. Sincere thanks is offered to these organizations for being amenable to time travel the region’s French Colonial past and for being willing to examine its history through the path of its foodways.

It is hard to believe that November is at an end and we are at the conclusion of this water saturated garden year. As we enter December, the last of the remaining weeds are being cleared from the garden’s raised beds and then the beds are being amended with leave litter and compost, preparing for the new season ahead. Historically late autumn harvests signal the traditional end of the current garden season and the beginning of the next. The simple jardin tasks of clearing and amending raised beds and planning for the new season ahead help to restore the balance in our garden life, creating room in our garden dreams to imagine the promise of the upcoming New Year. De beaux rêves!

To continue to follow this jardin’s journey, please visit Fort de Chartres Jardin Potager’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fdcjardin.

 

* “Sale at public auction of a house and 2 arpent lot at New Chartres, soon to be washed away by the Mississippi, done at the request of Clement Delor, heir of the late Magdelaine de Portneuf and of Carpentier, acting as guardian of Jean Jacques Coulon de Villiers, in the absence of De Villiers.  Adjudged to Bizette, trader, for 350 livres.  Executed at New Chartres.”

Dean, Lawrie Cena and Margaret Kimball Brown. 1984. The Kaskaskia Manuscripts: 1708–1816. Springfield, IL: Illinois State Archives. 65:6:29:1

J. C. Wild Illustrations. 1842. The valley of the Mississippi illustrated in a series of views. 

Barbeau’s Creek, Prairie du Rocher, Illinois. J. C. Wild, 1842

Travaux à faire en janvier

7 January, 2019 / / 2 Comments

Fort de Chartres Land Gate January 2019, EJ

7 janvier 2019 lundi

55 degrees, Clear

7 mph, SW wind

 “Work to be done in January

If you (like many others) are curious of having early Sallating, take care that your Gardener make his Hot Beds to Sow Lettuce-Seed for Sallets, and Radishes,  that you may have them as early as possible. Glass Bells will be a great Help to him in rearing up Cabbage-Lettuce, Melons and Cucumbers…”

-Francois Gentil, Le Jardinere solitaire 1706

“The Compleat Florist” Louis Liger D’Auxerre 1706, Glass Bell

The desire of gardeners to begin sowing seed in the New Year is as old as the desire to cultivate plants. This entry in an early eighteenth-century French garden book, illustrates this impulse to begin the garden year as early as possible. But their dire and very real need to begin early food production illustrates a different reality of their 1700s world as opposed to our modern general impatience for the beginning of a new season and the speeding of harvests yet to be. None the less, it is time to begin the seed sowing of those plants that benefit from a jump start of early indoor planting, helping those plants that benefit as transplants as opposed to directly sown seed.  In our corner of the Illinois Country, our last frost date is generally considered to be April 15 (Zone 6), so the first month of the new year is the time to begin planting, indoor, those plant varieties that will b be ready to transplant after the danger of frost or a bit earlier, if prepared with glass cloches (jars) to shelter those tender plants. The month of January sees the indoor sowing of some of the jardin’s seeds, such as Strawberry, Rosemary, Dianthus, Digitalis, Hollyhocks, Lobelias, Celery, and Parsley.  Let the nurturing begin!

Jardin 2016 seed exchange (CK)

It is also time for the jardin potager’s 4th Annual Heirloom Seed Swap on Saturday, February 2, from 10 a.m.-noon. The seed exchange will take place in the Fort de Chartres Guards’ Room and free heirloom sample seed packets will be available for visitors. You are welcome to bring your favorite or extra seeds to the Fort and share your seed bounty while having an opportunity to select seed from the garden project or from others’ shared seeds. This event is free and open to the public.

And after a quick lunch break, at 1 p.m. visitors can move into the Fort’s Trading Post for an Art de vivre demonstration-Native Treasures in 18th Century Illinois Country Foodways, rescheduled from last November’s original event date. A few of the Illinois Country native food treasures are explored during this Heritage Jardin Potager event focusing on those time-honored local favorites of persimmons, hickory nuts, and fruit vinegars showcased in period recipes. This afternoon event will occur from 1-3 p.m., limit 12 persons. Pre-registration for the afternoon portion of this garden project event is required so that enough materials and samples can be prepared in advance, so let us know if you are attending Les Amis’ Heirloom Seed Swap & Native Treasures Foodways at the Facebook event page or send me an email at heritage@fdcjardin.com. This afternoon event has a cost of $5 per person and attendees will have a fruit vinegar sample to take home, a taste of period baked goods featuring these native favorites, as well as informational flyers and recipes. Downloadable event flyer here. If the weather prevents attendance and the event is cancelled, it will be rescheduled.

I look forward to seeing you soon and sharing the joy of the season ahead!

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