Four- Square Garden

Whether rich or poor, on a farm or in town, most German households cultivated Gemüsegärten — vegetable gardens — in which they grew vegetables and herbs for their kitchens. Common vegetables include potatoes, beets, turnips, parsnips, kohlrabi, carrots, onions, tomatoes, peas, radishes and asparagus, among many others. A variety of herbs also would have been grown to flavor food as well as to be used for medicinal purposes. Germans often grew flowers alongside their produce, both for decoration and as companion plants to keep away pests.

Immigrants to Hermann, particularly those of the peasant class, utilized as much land as possible for growing their gardens. They wanted to step outside their doors and have immediate access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Square or rectangular garden plots with permanent paths intersecting them made for easy maneuvering through the garden as well as an efficient use of space.

While the typical German garden plot was a four-square design, our six-square garden still honors German gardening traditions that were carried from the Old World to the New.