Visit Carnton Plantation for a step back into the past

On a recent visit to the gardens at the Carnton Plantation I found a wonderful assortment of culinary and medicinal herbs as well as 19th Century heirloom flowers, ornamentals, fruits and vegetables.

This garden is a wonderful step back in time as an example of how plantations in the 1800's gardened. Below, you will be able to view a slide show on the gardens but first let me give you a bit of history of this historical home and it's gardens.

Built by former Nashville mayor Randal McGavock in 1826, Carnton Plantation became one of the biggest farms in Williamson County, Tennessee. Many important dignitaries of the time, such as President Andrew Jackson, visited the farm frequently.

John McGavock inherited the farm upon his father's death. He married Carrie Winder in December 1848 and together they made improvements to the garden.

Carrie MacGavock became one of "the most famous women you never heard of" as her tale of caring for the wounded soldiers during the bloodiest battles of Civil War (which took place right outside their back door in the town of Franklin, Tennessee) in the book The Widow of the South

The story tells of how she buried thousands of men in a private cemetery she created for them.

This book is a great read for insight into the Battle of Franklin and how one women made a difference for so many soldiers.

Tours of the Garden at Carnton Plantation

Tours of the garden are available every week-day morning at 9:30 a.m., except Monday, by garden expert Anne Owen. You'll be able to see flowers, shrubs, and herbaceous plants which were added to the vegetable garden plots to the west of the house. By viewing the garden, you will see that it was evident that gardening was very important to the McGavock family.

Culinary and medicinal herbs such as basil, catnip, chives, dill, wormwood and spearmint were planted as well as heirloom flowers and ornamental like bee balm, boxwood, foxglove and hollyhock; also, vegetables like peppers, squash, and pumpkins were planted.

Tours are $8.00 and can be pre-arranged by calling the Carnton office at 615-794-0903. For more information about the house, gardens, and hours of operation, please visit their website at www.carntonplantation.org

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Enjoy the video!