December-Reflections on Real Wealth-Franklin’s Enduring Gains

Revolutionary Roots-Our Common Ground Garden

December brings a hush to the Revolution Era Garden, a time for rest, reflection, and renewal. Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “There are no gains without pains.” In the Revolution Era, gardeners cut back perennials, mulched with shredded Chestnut leaves, and reflected on the year’s lessons. Cherokee, African, and colonial gardeners alike used this time to prepare for the future—saving seeds, enriching soil, and passing down knowledge. Winter was not an ending but a season of invisible labor—the patient work that made spring’s abundance possible.

Garden Activities

This December, we invite you to join that timeless labor by helping us build real wealth in the garden: living, fertile soil.
Bring your kitchen scraps and garden trimmings to the museum and add them to our community compost bin (located to the left of the garden, beside the bench). Vegetable peelings, cabbage leaves, lettuce, onions, old potatoes, tomatoes, eggshells, coffee grounds—anything “green and juicy”—is welcome. Our garden expert, Wendy Hawkins, is assisting with this compost project. She has already built the bottom 12 inches of the bin and added a pitchforkful of worm-filled compost from her own home bin.

We’re also seeking homeschool families and small groups willing to lend a hand with winter chores—turning beds, spreading mulch, or planning next year’s plantings. Every contribution, large or small, is an investment in the garden’s future—and a direct echo of the patience and foresight Franklin praised.

 Reflection & Revolutionary Connections
Franklin’s truth endures: real wealth is rooted in resilience, patience, and community. As we close the year, we give thanks for the hands that helped build this garden and for the stories it continues to tell. Together, we prepare the ground for another season of growth—historical, horticultural, and human. Here’s to the gains, hard-won and freely shared, that await us in the spring.

Looking Ahead…

Next month will find us sharpening tools, poring over seed lists, and dreaming of the first peas—honoring the deliberate winter planning—before the soil wakes once more.

Until next time,

Rebecca