Newark, DE 19711 - University of Delaware Library Institutional ...

landscape. However, a limited number of high-quality signs
designed to complement Salem plants and gardens are helpful to
casual visitors touring on their own. Temporary labels that
are removed as soon as the interest shifts from one garden area
to another are recommended. For instance, when a tulip finishes
blooming or lettuce is harvested, their labels may be lifted
and new ones placed on the plants which succeed them or others
of interest in the garden. Labels on perennial woody plants
with several showy periods might remain year round.
Labels made of wood splits, tree rounds, or manufactured
stakes with plant nomenclature written in old script might be
more appropriate to the historic setting than state-of-the-art
metal-photo or engraved plastic labels. Regardless of the de-
sign and construction, any label should give the common and bo-
tanical plant names, including varietal and cultivar information.
The sowing, transplanting, and harvesting dates of the plant
identified as well as the crops preceding and following it
might occasionally be included if there is room on the label.
An alternative to the proliferation of individual plant
labels is to install small stationary, silk-screened or metal-
photo signs with plan views of garden squares that are well-
maintained and intensively cultivated in significant Salem lots.
Such maps should quickly identify key plants of historical
interest and their respective locations in the garden.
Side-by-side, comparative sketches of a typical spring,
summer, and fall Salem garden square would illustrate seasonal
crop changes. This type of sign could help visitors appreciate
the vigor with which Moravians cultivated their gardens to
guarantee abundant harvest March through November. The concept
also benefits the infrequent visitor who can't return during the
growing season to witness garden changes.
Signs which provide more than a simple identification of a
plant or landscape feature are also useful for effective garden
interpretation. Several on-site interpretive signs are current-
ly used in Salem gardens at eye level on frequently traveled
paths.
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