Gardening

The Fort de Chartres Jardin Portager is planted in the style of a French l’habitant kitchen garden generally tended by the women of the Illinois Country. The accounts of the era remarked that the gardens contained a variety of the finest vegetables that were cultivated in raised beds, intermingled with herbs, flowers, and shrubs, located next to small orchards containing a variety of the choicest fruits. It was noted that l’habitants needed a substantial garden in order to be able to lay in a supply of vegetables and fruits for the winter months, along with the seasonal produce to be enjoyed during the growing season.