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Tag Archives: pioneers
Heirloom apples in Utah
Apples were among the most important orchard trees grown by Utah’s pioneers, judging by references to them in historic sources and by the number of trees surviving in old lots today. Though Utah’s climate can be harsh–both cold and dry–many … Continue reading
Pioneer Thanksgiving (and a honey cranberry sauce recipe)
As I stood watching my cranberries cook, waiting for them to pop in the pot, I thought what a shame it is that cranberries (and blueberries and bayberries!) are so hard to grow in our alkaline soil. My mind wandered … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Cranberries, holidays, pioneer food and cooking, pioneers, Thanksgiving, Utah
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Pioneer apricots
We’re just enjoying the last of our apricots, so I thought I’d celebrate with a post about apricots in pioneer Utah. Early Utah nurseryman Joseph Ellis Johnson listed several types of apricots in his garden journals, circa 1870: Blenheim, Kashia, … Continue reading
Cemeteries in southeast Idaho
A couple of weekends ago I escaped from the blistering heat to go on a treasure hunt in the mountains of southeast Idaho. I had heard a rumor that a pioneer cemetery in the area had an old red rose … Continue reading
Posted in Plants in historical gardens
Tagged cemeteries and monuments, Cemetery, Death Care, ghost towns, Headstone, historic preservation, Idaho, peonies, pioneer plants, pioneers, Roses, Utah
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Lilacs in Mendon, Utah’s historic cemetery
I’m fascinated and moved by historic cemeteries because they’re such concise, visual records of so many human stories. Especially in pioneer cemeteries, you see unique headstones telling stories of lives far too short or so long and full of heartache … Continue reading
Box elder maple syrup
Last month my husband and I decided to experiment with making maple syrup out of sap we collected from box elders at the American West Heritage Center. Box elders aren’t the most sought-after tree–they’re sort of the gawky cousin of … Continue reading
Roses in early Utah gardens
Despite the fact that early Utah settlers relied on their gardens for survival, they still found time and space to grow plants they found beautiful, and roses were among their favorites. Mormon pioneers, especially, saw significance in the rose because … Continue reading
Posted in Plants in historical gardens
Tagged historic preservation, Historical plant lists, pioneer plants, pioneers, Roses, Utah
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Utah Pioneer Gardens 