The Shaker Herb and Garden Book
by Rita Buchanan

The Shakers are widely known for their unique simple furniture.  But in the nineteenth century their most successful businesses were growing and selling vegetable seeds and medicinal herbs.  Their seeds became known for high quality and purity.  Customers came to depend on the Shakers’ integrity and fairness in business dealings.

Rita Buchanan describes the Shaker societies during the nineteenth century, what it meant to join a society, their communal living, and their dedication to God.  All of which influenced their gardens and seeds and their businesses.

I was familiar with Shakers before I read Ms. Buchanan’s book, but I found new inspiration in the dedication to perfection they applied to their gardening.  “Aim for Perfection; achieve it through discipline and hard work.  The Shakers didn’t yearn for a ready-made garden of Eden where their needs would be effortlessly met.  They gladly undertook the task of transforming rough, formerly wooded sites into smooth, fertile, abundantly productive fields and gardens.  This was a way of expressing their dedication, of doing God’s work.” 

The Shakers were some of the first farmers to nurture and build their soil.  Most American farmers of the time would deplete their soil and move on to virgin ground.  Shakers were also strong believers in composting.

The Shakers didn’t prescribe treatments but they sold dried herbs, extracts, and oils to pharmacists.  The Shaker Herb and Garden Book details the history of their medicinal business.  They also published The Gardener’s Manual to educate customers about growing vegetables, starting seeds, and weeding.  The Manual is full of gardening advice that is still valuable today.

I’m only able to touch on the content of this book.  Read it for yourself for a little inspiration for your garden from the nineteenth century Shakers.

This book is available at the Tulsa City-County Library.