Nineteenth Century Garden Catalogs Featured Must Have Vines

It seems that vines have always been an important ornamental plant for the home landscape.

Denise Otis in her book Grounds for Pleasure attributes that to the selling skill of nineteenth century garden magazines and catalogs.

She writes: “All through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the horticultural press poured forth plans for the front yard, designs for urns and flowerbeds to ornament it, and suggestions for vines to train up porch pillars.”

Rochester seedsman James Vick (1818-1882) published yearly catalogs and a magazine called Vick’s illustrated Monthly.  He often encouraged his readers to use two urns on the lawn, and include a vine in the home landscape.

Gardeners of the nineteenth century followed the recommendations of the media when it came to gardening.

Really nothing has changed.  We still follow garden fashion. Don’t we?

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