The Victory Garden

Tending the Vegetable Garden Artists Photographic Poster Print by Alfred Eisenstaedt

Manor House Club - gardening

Victory Gardens

Victory gardens were often called war gardens. They consisted of vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted in backyards and public parks. Families that already gardened enlarged them. The focus was on vegetables that could be added to their summer menus and keep through the winter. In 1944 nearly 20,000 Americans planted a Victory Garden. Nearly 40% of the vegetables eaten in the United States that year were home grown.

Thanks to the efforts of the American Public, the cost of produce dropped. Less money was needed to buy food for the troops and the government was able to channel the savings into other war efforts.

For many rural Americans gardening had always been a way of life. The Victory Garden was bigger but the landscape was not a whole lot different than before. The biggest impact could be seen in the cities. Landscaped lawns were torn up and replaced with green beans and tomatoes.

It wasn't just private property that underwent a landscaping overhaul. Vacant lots were commandeered, plowed and planted. Portions of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park were devoted to Victory Gardens. The "Riverside" in New York was turned into a Victory Garden, and Minnesota sported the Dowling Community Garden. Those who didn't know how to garden learned.

The planting of Victory Gardens was a national campaign. There were some objections when Eleanor Roosevelt insisted on a White House Victory garden, but she prevailed. The garden was planted. Shortly after the garden was planted the Department of Agriculture released several pamphlets on gardening basics.

The Victory Garden Campaign was a huge success on several fronts. The average citizen was no longer sitting on the sidelines waiting, wondering, and worrying. They were contributing to the war effort. It allowed the government to shift some of the money designated to feed the troops to other needs. The Victory Gardens also acted as a Morale Booster. There is nothing quite as satisfying as taking a handful of seeds and turn them into a meal. There were many that planted their initial garden in the name of patriotism but continued planting gardens for years after. They liked the feeling of self-sufficiency and it provided a small cushion during hard economic times. The wallet might be empty but there was food on the table.

P. Humway 1937 Seed Catalog


Carrots

There has been a renewed interest in the Victory Garden. It's not a part of a war effort or government plan, but a grassroots revival in response to the ever increasing cost of living and hard economic times. The gardens are different. Some gardens consist of a collection of herbs growing on a window sill, while others are a collection of pots on a patio. For the last few years my vegetable garden consisted of tomato plants tucked in among my flowers.

The gardens are varied but they have one common thread. The aim is to cut the food bill down or to provide something like fresh herbs that are not a part of the budget.

If your budget is squeaking, consider planting a garden. The investment is more time and effort than money but you will be reaping the rewards for months to come.