In the old days Corolla villagers raised their own food, caught it in the sea or shot it out of the sky. Everyone had a vegetable garden and fruit trees to provide fresh produce, and most everything was canned and preserved to save for the stark winter months. Because Corolla Village was on the more-protected sound side of the island, the gardens and plants were shielded from the lethal salt-laden winds of the ocean side. And the area’s mild climate made for a long growing season. The Village Garden is a reminder of these old sustenance gardens and the types of plants they bore. Most all the seeds grown here, mainly those in the herb garden, were available to Corolla residents during the period from 1900 to 1920. Garden manager Amy Crowe tries to grow mostly older and heirloom varieties, some of which are nearly extinct. Some of the plants you’ll find here include cardoon, feverfew, fennel, bachelor buttons, a purple chaste tree, comfrey and older varieties of hydrangeas. The garden is a nice opportunity to rest in some calming green space. You can sit on the edges of the raised beds for a spell and enjoy nature at its finest.
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