interpretation of john bartram's garden by - University of Delaware ...

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A Jujube (Zizyphus jujuba) should be planted to
replace the historic specimen near the northeast corner of
the house. The original tree, planted in 1735, was appar-
ently still thriving in 1907 when a writer noted its "fine,
bright-green, glossy foliage makes the topmost branches,
waving above the house, look, as the gardener says like
strings of smilax.q1 8
No information has been found concerning plantings
for the west house wall. Hardy vines, however, would seem
to be appropriate since the wall offers an ideal situation
for climbing plants.
Shrub Plantings
To ensure good culture and easy maintenance, most
shrubs should be grown in informal mulched borders located
as shown in the functional diagram. In a 1762 letter to
Peter Collinson, Bartram furnished precedent for this con-
cept: "1 planted it [Loblolly Bay (Gordonia lasianthus)]
in ye highest border of my upper garden. The actual place-
ment of each species should depend on its growth rate, ulti-
mate size, and cultural requirements.
Herbaceous Plantings
The scope of this study does not include specific
recommendations for herbaceous plantings. This is not to
say that they were not or should not be an important part
of Bartram's Garden. Besides the development of the common