Professor Steve Lenik shows visitors a shovel test pit during a recent tour at Gresham Estate. In 2017, London Town began working with Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks to manage a new historic property, the Gresham Estate. Located about 10 minutes from London Town's main site, the Gresham Estate was constructed by John Gresham II in the late 1600s, the same time that London Town was beginning to thrive. Over the years, the Estate has been owned by several families, most notably William Cotter, a retired 17th century pirate, and Commodore Isaac Mayo, who lived in the house until his death in 1861. Most recently, the house was restored by Leon Johnson of Johnson Pools and his family. Although Gresham has been in continuous ownership since the 17th century, there are many mysteries about the site. There have never been systematic archaeology investigations conducted at Gresham, nor has there been an in-depth historical report researching the different people connected to the place. There was a 1984 architectural survey, from which we know the main house that stands today was probably constructed originally after 1765. However, there have been several significant alterations and additions to the building over the years. Students from St. Mary’s College of Maryland sifting through dirt to find potential artifacts. Thanks to a generous donor, London Town was able to contract a field school with professors Steve Lenik, PhD and Liza Gijanto, PhD and St. Mary’s College to conduct an initial archaeology assessment of the grounds. The archaeologists and students spent four weeks at Gresham between June and July 2021. During that time, they conducted a shovel test pit (STP) survey of the property. An STP survey is an efficient way to cover a large area without causing major disturbance. They laid out a grid and flagged up to every 50 feet. As they got closer to the house, they flagged every 25 feet. Much further out became every 75 feet. They then dug at each flag, going down past the topsoil and looking for artifacts and features. Part of a clay pipe found at Gresham. Photo courtesy of Carol Benson and Four Rivers Heritage Area. As a result of their work, they found 19th and possibly 18th century artifacts. They also found bricks indicating potential earlier features to the property. If an STP proves promising, they’ll spread out from it, digging out a 5x5’ square. For example, on the northeast end of the house, they found what might have been an earlier kitchen. They discovered oyster shell deposits, shards of tableware ceramics, and animal bones. They also found bricks and lighter soil in a line connecting back to the current wall. While the finding is not conclusive, it is indicative of the possibilities hiding beneath the ground at Gresham. They have also located other features, such as a possible brick path and several artifacts, ranging from potentially parts of a chamber pot to a 19th century button. Larger unit revealing a potential earlier kitchen. The white flecks are oyster shell deposits. As the crew worked through the site, they carefully documented everything and bagged up materials found. The bags are each meticulously labeled. The artifacts in them will go to the Archaeology Laboratory facilities at St. Mary’s College to be gone through, washed, and processed. After that analysis is complete, all artifacts will be curated in the collections managed by the Lost Towns Project at the Anne Arundel County Archaeology Lab at London Town. Dr. Lenik will submit a technical report of all archaeological field activities for London Town and the Maryland Historical Trust. That report will help guide next steps for continuing archaeology and research at Gresham Estate. Our hope is to continue piecing together missing parts of the site’s history, especially of the people who lived and worked at the site over the centuries.

Be it a Monarch on a Blazing star, a Swallow tail on a Tiger Lily Or be it a Bee on N. Lime green A loaded pollinator pantry is keen for a happy winged team! Pollinator pantry loaded with nectar filled flowers, brilliant colors and sweet aroma is key for attracting diverse pollinators. Swallow tails and bees have been abundant this summer at London Town. But look who's made it to our rain garden and woodland gardens? The Monarchs are here! And yes, they can be spotted in the woodland gardens as well, where there are sun pockets. A diverse pollinator pantry will give the winged wonders ample to choose from. Add layers of flora to attract a diverse array of pollinators.

Flower color patterns, textures, fragrance are key guides for pollinators, with incentive being nectar in most cases and pollen in some. Summer flowers have one of the most intriguing patterns and very specific ones to attract certain pollinators. What is a Bullseye in a flower? Here is some neat info.: "Angiosperms and their pollinators are adapted in a close co-evolution. For both the plants and pollinators, the functioning of the visual signaling system is highly relevant for survival. As the frequency range of visual perception in many insects extends into the ultraviolet (UV) region, UV-patterns of plants play an important role in the flower–pollinator interaction". https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6404398/ Look out for bullseye patterns and landing pads up close in flowers, summer flowers especially are plentiful and diverse at that.

In celebration of 50 years at Historic London Town & Gardens, we wanted to share photos from our school field trip programs over the decades. See someone you recognize? Let us know! Email us at londontown@historiclondontown.org. These photos from school tours in 1977 inside the c.1760 William Brown House, a National Historic Landmark. Image description: children watching a puppet show in the basement of the William Brown House. Image description: Students watching an apple slicing demonstration in the basement of the William Brown House. This photo features a boy in the 1980s holding something found during an archaeological excavation. Image description: a young boy holds an unknown object in a gloved hand. Behind him is a tarped area. Check out Rod Cofield (now London Town’s executive director) giving a cooking demonstration in the Tenement around 2006. Image description: a man in colonial style clothing performs a cooking demonstration involving corn for students inside a wooden colonial-style building. Around the same time period, former William Brown House curator Vicki Lerch leads a tour through the Brown House. Image description: a woman in colonial costume fields questions from students in the tavern room of the William Brown House. In the early 2000s, archaeologists with the Anne Arundel County Archaeology Lab and Lost Towns Project led an excavation at the 18th century Rumney-West tavern site. The tavern is gone but stood between the William Brown House and the Carpenter Shop during the colonial period. Students sit under a large tent checking out artifacts discovered from below the tavern’s cellar. Image description: a person stands in an excavated pit going down about 4 feet. She holds up a green bottle to a group of students sitting on the top level. Inside the excavated area are two barrels with artifacts and materials on top. A ladder leads from the excavated area to the ground level. While the pandemic shifted the way we conduct educational programs, it didn’t stop them! This past spring, we partnered with Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks on a series of Nature Escape programs in the gardens. Image description: Children in life jackets wade into a rain garden, filled with water, to collect samples in the dell of the gardens. A ranger watches them. Although our field trip programs have been impacted by the pandemic, there are still many ways to learn with London Town. Options include virtual field trips and a virtual tour of the William Brown House, monthly Homeschool Days, traveling trunks, and more! See all of the options at https://www.historiclondontown.org/learn.

Pollinators such as bees, birds and insects are nothing but vectors 'agents' that aid in transferring the pollen from one place to another. Floral parts can be showy, fragrant and abundant. But when it comes to biotic vectors such as bees, birds, butterflies and hundreds of insects, what sells most is the POLLEN! "There are several ways to attract a vector. When the vector is an animal, the flower will use olfactory or visual signs. An example of a visual sign would be a color pattern that attracts the animal's attention to the pollen. This is also known as a bulls eye pattern. The color of the flower and its center affect the type of vector that it attracts. Different animals see some colors better than others. Butterflies, for example, are attracted to the red/yellow color pattern."(https://faculty.atu.edu/cbrucker/Engl2053/Samples/bjb08.htm) Plants also depend on abiotic vectors such as wind, water etc. But for biotic vectors they have to work hard. The evolutionary patters on flowers to attract biotic vectors is fascinating to say the least. Check out the slideshow below for some examples.

Summer gardens in the Mid-Atlantic are full of opportunities with ample choices from foliage to flowers to seed pods. Here are some summer selections from London Town Gardens!

Genus Lavandula is well known for its essential oils and gorgeous color contrast. It is one herb that can enhance a sun garden, multifold. The famous and common English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is popular for its fragrance. But if you are looking for high impact in color, height and fragrance, then there is no match to Lavandins. One lone Lavandin plant in a garden, is plenty for a gardener to find eternal love. There is no match to Lavandin Love! Lavandin (Dutch Lavenders) are Lavandula x intermedia hybrids of English L. angustifolia and L. latifolia. One stunning Lavandin hybrid we have at London Town is, Lavandin 'Grosso'. Now 'Grosso' isn't medieval, it is a natural hybrid that was discovered near the seas of Spain, Italy and France. It has higher levels of terpenes, mainly camphor, which gives this Lavandin a strong fragrance. English lavender on the other hand is sweeter and has less camphor content, but they aren't even nearly as aesthetically impactful as 'Grosso'. 'Grosso' is most widely used world wide for production of Lavandin essential oils. It is also well know for its habit, a large mound and tall flower stalks which ideal for making wands and dry herb bundles. But it is a natural sterile hybrid, meaning, it is not able to produce viable offspring. Lavender, Lavandin, there are so many varieties to choose from. In Mid-Atlantic we are fortunate to be able to plant several of the genus Lavandula species and hybrids. Lavender 'Hidcote' is another neat plant. The fronds are much shorter, but the fragrance is potent! You could also try Lavender stoechas, Spanish Lavender. It would be neat in a garden bed or a planter. Its ornate flower are unlike any other Lavander or Lavandin. Lavender plants are also one of the most aesthetic plants in a perennial landscape. A full proof design for a sun garden, for a meadow impact would be Lavender, Yuccas and Cone flowers, most dependable and high impact combination! If you haven't tried Lavandins yet, then definitely try planting a 'Grosso'. This lavandin is true eternal love, aroma, sight and touch, a multisensory impact with one single Lavandin.

One of the 'Best Management Practices' (BMP's) for a sustainable landscape, whether it is fragile like a woodland garden or a steady rock garden berm, is to first apply cultural methods of weed control. Firstly, weeds are nothing more than an unwanted plant in a particular location. And as always, prevention is better than control, better be safe than sorry is very true when it comes to weed control as well. Key factors of cultural method include: replacing weeds (unwanted plants) with desirable ones- increasing plant competition; reducing irrigation needs for a habitat- self sustainable, reducing weed seed sources to avoid build up of a weed seed bank in the soil, soil health improvement, mulching, etc. Understanding what is underneath and what is above the ground is very key for plant health. And adding desirable plants alone will not solve your weed issues, but adding desirable plants that will also suite a landscape will help. For eg., Ostrich fern, wild ginger and Hellebore would make an excellent combination, for wild ginger's compact growth will cover the ground like a mat, Ostrich fern in the right location will enhance and naturalize to outcompete unwanted plants and Hellebore- an evergreen perennial will add color interest in spring. Here is a short excerpt from our newest Ground Supervisor: Benjamin Lammers. Ben has a passion for working outdoors and with his innate understanding of habitats and, BMP's one could use to make landscapes sustainable, is refreshing and needed for handling fragile landscapes like a woodland. "It is necessary when considering a landscape design centered around conservation to use eco-conscious methods of controlling invasive species and nuisance weeds. At London Town we are aiming to increase the percentage of ground covers in our woodland garden in order to control weeds naturally. A few examples of ground covers we find effective in curtailing the spread of nuisance weeds here at London Town are Wild Ginger, Ostrich Fern, and Hellebores. All of these ground covers are very low maintenance once established. Wild ginger is best suited for shady partially moist environments, grows in short colonies, and is extremely tough and deer resistant. Additionally, it attracts many pollinators and is a larval host for pipevine swallowtail butterflies. Ostrich Fern enjoys shade to partial sun and is able to withstand floodwater once established. Ostrich Fern canopies become so dense that they can take seemingly unmanageable moist and overgrown spaces and transform them into something much more appealing. Hellebores are another great ground cover and can provide visual interest to an area during the winter and early spring". Conservation landscapes are necessarily invested in improving the ecology of the surrounding area first and improving visual interest and aesthetics second. The groundcovers mentioned previously are effective in reaching both goals and would make excellent additions to a public or home garden focusing on conservation." Ecology, conservation, plant competition, soil structure and BMP's that are key to building a sustainable landscape and should all flow together cohesively. London Town Gardens offer exceptional examples of ephemeral woodland gardens and sun gardens bursting with color and nectar for the pollinators. It is key to understand what is underground while observing what is above ground. More on this in the coming weeks!

Through Monday, July 26 Last winter, many of you purchased long-sleeved shirts in our first ever pop up shop. Thank you! It was a great way to kick off the 50th anniversary of London Town. ​ The shop has reopened if you’d like to add a t-shirt (or pick up another long-sleeved one!) ​ Show your love for London Town by purchasing a shirt today. Lots of colors and styles to customize. A portion of all proceeds will go directly to London Town. ​ However, the store is only open until July 26th, so don’t wait! Buy Your Shirt Here! Questions? Email us at londontown@historiclondontown.org.

Happy summer! Come June end, here in the Mid-Atlantic, most seasonal gardens will see sprouts of summer color with Gladioli, Rudbeckias, Cosmos and many more bright colors. Day-length and length of darkness within a 24-hr period and how it impacts flowering time, is intriguing to say the least. "The fact that the length of light and darkness in a 24-hour period has an effect on plants was researched thoroughly back in the 1900s, and the term “photoperiodism” was created to describe the phenomenon. The discovery of photoperiodism happened in 1920 when two employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture discovered a genetic mutation in tobacco. Plants possessing the mutant gene bloomed in December instead of flowering in summer as normal tobacco plants do. Experimenting with artificial lighting in winter and artificial darkening in summer, they found that the mutant plants would only flower when exposed to the long nights that naturally occur in winter. They called them “short-day” plants" (https://www.lsuagcenter.com/.../articles/page1545256426975). Classic short-day plants examples are: Cosmos, Zinnias and Marigolds. Common long-day plants examples are: Rudbeckias, Petunia, Salvia, etc. Some common day neutral plants (wherein the flowering is not regulated by photoperiod) examples are: Roses, Strawberries, Cucumbers, etc. Even though the terms 'long-day' and 'short-day' plants is commonly used, it is the length of darkness within a 24 hour period that affects bloom time. Another fun fact: "Plants can further be described as having a facultative or obligate photoperiod response. Plants with a facultative response flower faster under a particular photoperiod but will eventually flower under all photoperiods. For example, a facultative short day plant will flower faster under short days but will eventually flower under long days as well. Plants with an obligate response absolutely require a particular photoperiod for flowering" (https://www.canr.msu.edu/.../light_and_flowering_of...). Photoperiodism is manipulated for greenhouse production of many annuals and perennials. Either the vegetative growth is bulked up or the flowering time is modified. Good understanding of the length of darkness required for a particular species for maximum production value is extremely crucial for growers. Change in length of darkness is also key for gardeners as they are indicators of what annuals and perennials will be in bloom and for how long. Currently at London Town, the Gladiloi, Boltonias, Crocosmias, Irises, Rudbeckia maxima and Jewel weeds are in bloom. Summer solstice is a reminder of nights getting longer and all the bright summer blooms that will initiate with this change in photoperiod. Here at London Town, we await the bright summer blossoms of Lilies, Asters, Mallows and many other gorgeous pollinators.

Boosting plant vigor is easy to do with many organic ingredients like eggs shells, coffee grounds and various other commercial plant foods that can be easily found over the counter. But what if we could boost flower color without having to use any complicated propagation techniques and creating a new hybrid? Hydrangea flowers (inflorescence) are interesting wherein one can attempt to adjust the color by simply adjusting the soil pH. Pink or blue, mop head hydrangeas can start as one color, but there is potential to alter the color of the blossoms by adjusting the soil. Most commonly known fact about color change in hydrangeas is that, if you change the pH, you can adjust the color. Higher pH (7.8 or higher) you get blue flowers and lower the pH (5.0 and below), there is potential to turn the flowers pink. But new research shows that it is not the pH alone that does the trick. Hydrangea flowers (inflorescence) have sepals and not the usual petals. These sepals have a plant pigment called anthocyanin (delphinidin-3-monoglucoside). Anthocyanins are water soluble pigments and are the ones responsible for the red, blue, magenta and black colors in plants. In Hydrangeas, when the anthocyanin binds with aluminum (Al3+ ) the sepals will turn blue. Al helps alter the color of the hydrangeas! "Hydrangea colors ultimately depend on the availability of aluminum ions (Al3+) within the soil. The role of aluminum has been known since the 1940s, but it did not reach the mainstream horticultural literature until about the past two decades, and the exact mechanism was only recently defined. Aluminum ions are mobile in acidic soil because of the ready availability of other ions they can react with, which can be taken up into the hydrangea to the bloom where they interact with the normally red pigment. But in neutral to basic soil, the ions combine with hydroxide ions to form immobile aluminum hydroxide" (https://www.americanscientist.org/.../curious-chemistry...). Here in the Mid-Atlantic we are lucky to be able to easily find blue hydrangeas and maintain that color as our native soils tend to be more acidic with sufficient levels of Al to maintain the pretty blue. In fact we have a difficult time maintaining pink flowers. For turning our blue hydrangeas pink, we need to make our soils more alkaline. Want to give it a shot and see what Al in your soils could do, if you adjust the pH? To raise the soil pH, add lime and to decrease soil pH, add sulfur to the soil. Here is another neat article, if you want to try an alter the color of your hydrangeas: https://wayne.ces.ncsu.edu/.../how-to-change-hydrangea.../ Sharing with you today, a splendid color show of a mophead Hydrangea from Gresham. Its shows blue, pink and purple, all colors together on one plant and in some cases, the same head! A combination of these three colors on a single plant is an indicator of a nearby masonry foundation and a conglomeration of soils. Al's certainly having a hard time picking one color, its painting a rather unique and colorful happy canvas!

Chamomile, Paeonia and Hypericum are all perennials that aren't used together as often in an ornamental garden, but what a lovely combination they would make for any garden, big or small. Together they would give an instant cottage garden appeal, and with layered Hydrangeas or shrub roses as a backdrop, that's a painting to adore. But as much these three are known for their aesthetic appeal, only Chamomile might be the one that is most popular for its medicinal properties. "Chamomile is one of the oldest, most widely used and well documented medicinal plants in the world and has been recommended for a variety of healing applications (7). Chamomile is a native of the old World and is a member of the daisy family (Asteraceae or Compositae)" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/). Commonly called 'Apple of the ground' referring to the plant's fruity fragrance, Chamomile is a lovely perennial. "Daisy-like flowers with white rays and yellow centers bloom throughout the summer and into early fall. Finely-dissected, fern-like foliage emits a fruity scent when bruised. Flower heads may be dried to make chamomile tea, a soothing herbal tea that has been an historic folk medicine remedy for variety of ailments" (http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/.../PlantFinderDet...). Now Peonies are extremely popular in both floriculture and horticulture. But did you know that it is one of the most well know herbs for over 1200 years? "According to legends, peonies have been revered for centuries for the medicinal properties found in their roots" (https://communityenvironment.unl.edu/peony-0). Paeonia lactiflora known for its ancient medicinal properties is also one of the parents for the many cultivars that we find today in the nurseries. 'Sarah Bernhart' is one of its blush pink cultivar that would be a perfect perennial in any cottage garden. Now pair that with a bushy perennial with sweetest butter yellow flower of Hypericum hidcote and you've got two bee magnets in your garden! Hypericum hidcote is commonly known as St. John's wort, although it is the H. perforatum species that has the medicinal properties. "St. John's wort has been used for medical purposes in other parts of the world for thousands of years. Named for St. John the Baptist (because it blooms around the day of his feast), St. John's wort is continually being studied to try to demonstrate its alleged benefits"(https://my.clevelandclinic.org/.../9304-st--johns-wort). Although known for a weedy habit, all hypericum species aren't used in ornamental gardens. But one outstanding all star species is the Hypericum x hidcoteense 'Hidcote', commonly known as Hypericum hidcote. Extremely low maintenance, drought tolerant, helps in erosion control and can take full sun or dappled sun, it is an excellent pollinator and color burst for any garden. Phytochemical study of plants in a highly evolving field. "The therapeutic effects of these medicinal plants can justifiably be attributed to the phytochemicals in them especially the flavonoids, alkaloids and saponins. Phytochemicals are biologically active, naturally occurring chemical compounds found in plants, which protect plant cells from environmental hazards such as pollution, stress, drought, UV exposure and pathogenic attack. These secondary plant metabolites are thought to act as synergistic agents, allowing nutrients to be used more efficiently by the body"( https://www.researchgate.net/.../295909407_Medicinally...). Medicinal properties or not, Chamomile, Paeonias and H. hidcotes blooms are healers for the mind, body and the soul. Try them individually or as a group, and these perennials would brighten any garden.