When information about a specific home isn't available, she compiles lists of plants that the home's original owners could have bought in their town in a given year. At major historic properties, recreating period gardens got its start in the U.S. about 20 years ago, when Thomas Jefferson's plantation at Monticello began excavating its orchards and gardens and replanting them as they looked in Mr. Jefferson's time. But when home gardeners imitate the pros, they tend to mix and match historical periods. From a library book, she copied an Italian design dating from 1499 in front of her home. Ms. Perry concedes that it's an unusual look for her 1861 Huntington, Ind., farmhouse.
People often deny, or challenge, history.
But she remains unconvinced, and is currently looking for heirloom varieties of peonies. Indeed, historical realism isn't always that attractive. In the front yard, try a white picket or wrought-iron fence surrounding heirloom roses and crabapple trees. In the backyard, try trellises covered in sweetpeas or clematis. Consider planting herbs in a knotlike pattern.