Awakening the Soil – Adams’ Timely Pursuit

March’s winds awaken the Revolution Era Garden at the Transylvania Heritage Museum, sweeping away the last traces of winter and stirring the soil into readiness for the season ahead. John Adams captured this restless pull toward the earth in a letter to Abigail from Philadelphia, weary of congressional gridlock: “I begin now to think all time lost that is not employed in farming.”

Adams saw agriculture as far more than mere survival—it was a restorative rhythm amid political storms, a virtuous expression of independence. The liberty he helped secure made possible this self-reliant life: tilling one’s own soil, free from tyranny or dependence.

This month, we honor that legacy with an update on our soil improvements and composting efforts, building the fertile foundation that Revolutionary-era gardeners relied upon through careful enrichment and organic matter. No rototillers here—we continue using hand tools to gently aerate and amend the beds, preserving microbial life in the sustainable ways practiced in colonial times.

Join us on March 21 at noon for our hands-on garden program.  We’ll review progress on soil enrichment, check our compost, and do some general garden sprucing up. If conditions and time allow, we may direct sow early peas and onions to embrace the lengthening days. Peas and onions were among the earliest crops sown in colonial gardens—hardy enough for March planting in many regions, they fixed nitrogen (in the case of peas) or provided essential flavor and storage value (onions), sustaining families through practical connection to the land.

All ages welcome! Please let us know if you are bringing a group so we can prepare accordingly.

March draws us forward with longer light and the first true signs of growth. As green hints appear, let Adams inspire: fulfillment often lies not in distant debates, but in the tangible work of nurturing the soil. What steps are you taking this month to awaken your own patch of earth and connect with its history? Share below!