Check Out the Hezikiah Haskell Heritage Garden

Thanks to the efforts of Kurt Schmidt, a Clarksville Community Garden member, and funding from the Austin Parks Foundation, there is now a Heritage Garden at the Haskell House. According to Kurt, “Its mission is to provide a tangible glimpse into the lives of the Freedmen, illustrating the selfreliance they possessed, by showing how early Clarksville families sustained themselves through the growth of nourishing vegetables.”

Different crops that reflect what early Clarksville residents probably propagated will be grown according to the season. For example, this year’s Spring vegetables include: okra, corn, sweet potatoes, black eyed peas, turnips, okra, and sweet peas. And last Fall’s vegetables included: cabbage, sweet peas, broad beans, mustard greens and collard greens.

Kurt is in the process of identifying heirloom varieties of vegetables which must be grown from seed. He anticipates a lot of variability from year-to-year in both the Spring and Fall gardens.

The CCDC is very grateful to Kurt for creating the Hezikiah Haskell Heritage Garden. The Garden will enrich the experience of visitors to the House and help them better understand what life was like for the people who lived in Clarksville during its early years.

Thanks for PARD for creating an interpretive sign for the Hezikiah Haskell Heritage Garden.