Category Archives: Historical Skills

Spring Dandelions

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THINGS TO DO IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND

If you’re looking for something creative and fun to do while safe at home this spring check this out…

yellow-dandelionDid you know that dandelions are not native to the Americans? They were brought here by Europeans during the seventeenth century. During that time, they were thought to possess medicinal properties.

John Gerards Herbal, published in 1597, wrote of dandelions “upon every stalk standeth a flower greater than that of Succory, but double, and thick set together, of colour yellow, and sweet in smell, which is turned into a round downy blowball, that is carried away with the wind.”
The supposed medicinal properties? “Boiled, it strengthens the weak stomach, and eaten raw it stops the belly, and helps the dysentery, especially being boiled with lentils; the juice drunk is good against the involuntary effusion of seed; boiled in vinegar, it is good against the pain that troubles some in making of water. A decoction made of the whole plant helps the yellow jaundice.”
We do not endorse plant medicinals in 2020.
But guess what? We do have another craft for one of those toilet paper rolls.

Supplies:

Toilet paper roll (empty)
Paint (be creative, this can be any color)
Paper
Scissors

Instructions:

Take an empty t.p. roll

Cut slits about one inch up from the bottom and all the way around. These will be creating your “puffs” so make them around 3 cm. apart

Once finished, separate the slits

Put the paint onto a paper plate, or something that you can really spread it around on

Dip the tp roll into the paint (slit side) then make quick little marks on your paper

Historical Skills

HISTORICAL GARDENING SKILLS…
Brought to you by Historic St. Mary’s City, Southern Maryland

growing plants and vegtables, historic st marys city

With HSMC staff teleworking, some have found time to use their skills at home. Education Director Peter built a raised garden bed (planned prior to the pandemic).

As a former supervisor of the Godiah Spray plantation, Peter has plenty of experience. Raised garden beds are what make up the plantation kitchen garden area, and was a popular method of planting in England during the 17th century. These were raised rectangular gardens, being narrow allowing for access from either side. The “kitchen” garden would have had a variety of plants and herbs used for medicine, seasoning food, and consumption.

historical gardening historic st marys city

Peter, much as the colonists would have, had his children assisting with the planting. He and his family started with pots and took the opportunity to measure the growth daily as a STEM activity (pun intended). Here’s a simple seed germinating idea for families

SUPPLIES

  • a glass jar
  • paper towels
  • water
  • seeds

Put sheets of paper towel, one at a time, into the glass jar. Once it is full, add water to wet it, but try not to oversoak. Make sure the paper towel is packed so the seeds will stay in place once you put them there, and also be easily visible. Take the seeds, and place them down the side of the glass jar, supporting them with the wet paper towel. Somehow label the seed on the outside in order to make observations and comparisons. Keep checking back on your little seeds. Perhaps mark their growth on a calendar or in a notebook. If you have a few different varieties, what grew better? Once they start germinating, plant them in soil.