Gardening at Sotterley

Gardening at Sotterley. . , Agriculture was the basis for plantation life at Sotterley. The fertile land yielded export crops, such as tobacco and corn, and subsistence corps that fed Sotterley's owners and laborers. The landscape owned by Historic Sotterley today will contains the elements that served as a resource base for the plantation: riverfront, agricultural lands, and woodlands., But in addition to farming on a large scale, gardening also would have been important to Sotterley's people. No records exist to tell us precisely how each of Sotterley's owners and laborers planned and grew gardens. However, archaeological discoveries on the property, along with estate inventories, and what is generally understood about plantation operations, point to the likelihood of important and diverse gardens throughout Sotterley's history., Simple hardens with herbs and vegetables were a component of Sotterley's early domestic landscape, placed near the Plantation House for use by kitchen workers. As Sotterley grew and prospered, formal landscape elements, such as flower beds, garden paths, and attractive driveway approaches from the road to the house, were added., Clues to gardening at Sotterley appear as early as the inventory of James Bowles' estate in 1727, noting a pair of garden shears in the kitchen. An 1802 estate inventory notes the presence of a "garden house." In the late 19th century, the book, Maryland Gardens and Houses, noted Sotterley's "charming garden has an old-world atmosphere with its sweet scented herbs, and unusual lilacs." Climbing roses can be seen on the plantation house in early 20th century photographs., Sotterley had languished for some years before the Satterlees acquired it in 1910. Herbert Satterlee set to work reviving and embellishing the existing garden area. He retained the foursquare vegetable and fruit garden beds, a design plan typical of the 18th century, the period to which he wished to pay tribute at Sotterley. He augmented the beds with boxwood and barberry hedges, fencing, a brick wall, and a second symmetrical garden structure to balance the Necessary in the northeast corner. The long brick wall is bordered by a row of peonies, planted by the Satterlees. Mr. Satterlee also enlarged the 10 ornamental flower beds and filled them with flowers that Louisa Satterlee chose: chrysanthemums, poppies, columbines, bleeding heart, portulaca, and heritage roses., Today, Sotterley's gardens are largely ornamental in context, providing a feast for the eye rather than food for the table. Sotterley's all-volunteer Garden Guild continues to cultivate the floral varieties Mrs. Satterlee chose, as well as others, and is responsible for the grace and beauty the gardens lend to the landscape.