Resources I Love: Old Sturbridge Village

Yesterday I took advantage of the sunny weather to head over to Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts to pick up some of their heirloom seeds for school.  I haven't visited in about a year or two and was thrilled to see the additions they've made.   The place was filled with hands-on exhibits for children with weaving, butter churning and wood stacking being just a few of the activities.

The gardening exhibit, "Taking Root: The Growing Business of Gardening in Pots in the Early 1800s" was super.  Guide books were on hand to help engage children in the exhibit and a "Taking Root" pamphlet was available for purchase.  With quotes and information taken from documents like The Green-house Companion (London 1825) and the Annual Catalogue of the Agricultural Warehouse and New England Seed Store (Boston 1836) I had to snap up a copy as a resource for the classroom.  (You can contact Christie Higginbottom at chigginbottom@osv.org to order a copy.)

If you'd like to order seeds, there is quite a collection.  I stuck to beans for my students.  Wren's Egg Pole Bean, Low's Champion Bush Bean and True Red Cranberry Bean will find their way into our school garden this year.

I could keep raving about the museum but I want to get back to planning our gardening lessons.  A quick heads up, the gardening exhibit won't be up much longer, so plan to make the trip soon.  And don't forget to pick up a redware plantpot.