In contrast, the Livingston-Backus Garden is laid out in the classical style compatible with the architecture of its 1826 Federal style garden house. Descriptions of several gardens in Rochester, New York during the 1830s and 1840s provided the basis for the brick paths edged with boxwood and the inclusion of fruit trees and shrubs within the flower beds. Original catalogs of 1835 and 1841 provided the list of plants included in the gardens. Other plantings in the village include an extensive collection of trees and shrubs that demonstrate the evolution of local horticulture from the early 19th century to its end. The large array of fruit crops include apples, pears, plums, quince, grapes, gooseberries, and currants.
Visitors can relive the changes in the philosophy of gardening from sustenance to decorative.
They also can learn why these changes came about. One major force was transportation. When the canals and railroads became operable, a larger variety of seeds became accessible. Also, information was exchanged more readily through newspapers and catalogs. The gardening trends started in the East eventually affected the whole country as settlers moved West bringing their ideas and their seeds with them.