Early Colonial Gardens by Nancy Peavy Imagine being stranded in the primitive wild, subjected to extreme weather conditions and surrounded by unfamiliar plants. For an answer, take a look at the first North American gardens planted by the 17th century Puritans. No grocery store, no physicians, no dairy, no bakery, no pharmacists. Just you and an unfamiliar wilderness. Every morsel you eat, every beverage you drink, even the medicines you take, the dyes with which you color your clothes and the seasonings in your food have to be grown and processed by your own hand.
Survival is made even more difficult by exposure to an unknown climate.
Further complicating the issue of survival is the lack of familiarity with native plants. Fueled by dreams of creating a utopian civilization, the Puritans sailed eagerly to this primitive wilderness, undaunted by the fearsome venture they faced. The odds of surviving were against them, and yet they did. Many factors played a role in their success, but it is their gardens, and what they chose to grow in them, that best gives us an understanding of how they met their daily needs. The gardens were primarily the domain of the housewife.