The Woodford Orchard / Woodford's Early Garden and Landscape

The Woodford Orchard, also, Woodford's Early Garden and Landscape. Fairmount Park Historic Landscapes. , The Woodford Orchard , Woodford and the other summer houses in East Fairmount Park historically had large gardens and orchards to provide their kitchens with fresh produce., In 2008 a new orchard was designed and planted through a collaboration of the Philadelphia Orchard Project, East Park Revitalization Alliance (ERPA), Naomi Wood Trust, and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. ERPA organizes youth from the nearby Strawberry Mansion neighborhood to maintain and harvest the orchard. Workshops and harvest the orchard. Workshops and harvest festivals are held here., An Edible Garden , The 2008 orchard plantings included apple, peach, plum, pear, and cherry trees. Interspersed among the fruit trees were berry bushes, strawberries, and other useful plants, creating an edible forest. An innovative rainwater harvesting system, bee hives, and a wildflower and kitchen garden with culinary and medicinal herbs were also installed., In 2010, the orchard was expanded with the addition of 31 trees, including persimmons, pawpaws, walnuts, chestnuts, almonds, and an allee of juneberries., Woodford's Early Garden and Landscape , Starting in the 18th century, country retreats were built along the Schuylkill River to take advantage of the river's cooling breezes and vistas. Within easy reach of the city, the river banks were described as "finely situated for prospect, health, and pleasure." At their summer homes here the wealthy could escape the crowded city., William Coleman built Woodford here in 1756-58. Gardening and horticulture were a form of recreation for gentlemen like Coleman and his neighbors. Woodford's 12 acres had a "fine garden" similar to the other Schuylkill properties. Some nearby estates functioned as working farms, including productive dairies, orchards, extensive fields, and game lands., Beginning in 1844 these estates were purchased to form Fairmount Park. Curving park drives connected visitors to the city's street grid. Over time parade grounds, playing fields, picnic areas and forest replaced the gardens., [Captions:] , Golden Pippin apples were often used in cider-making. Hard cider was one of the most important drinks in the colonial period., Strawberries were very popular at the area estates. Woodford's "fine garden" primarily grew fruits, vegetables and herbs., This 1809 print by William Birch shows the view from across the river. It shows the Mendenhall Inn and Ferry (left foreground), Joseph Sims' country seat (center) and William Rawle's Harleigh (right). Woodford, which is not visible in this image, was located to the right of Harleigh. Woodford is the only one of these estates still standing., Advertisement for Woodford's 1769 sale. Woodford's 12 acres was a relatively small amount of land for a country retreat.