Horticulture at Wylie House
Wylie House and Garden c. 1870-1880
The Wylie family embraced the horticulture trend sweeping America during the 19th century. They went to great lengths to acquire plants, constructed elaborate infrastructure to protect them and traded specimens with their friends and family when they successfully propagated their prized flora.
The Wylies utilized the ever-growing nursery trade that was supporting the influx of horticultural products in the United States. One of their often-used nurseries was in Terre Haute, Indiana. Hermann Boisen wrote to his wife, Louisa Wylie Boisen about the products he acquired from this nursery:
“…in the afternoon I went out to Heinl. He had just received 5 enormous boxes with plants from France. I bought from the stock 1 cut leaved birch, 1 Magnolia, 1 Maiden hair tree, and one other plant, I have now forgotten what it was. They will probably arrive together with this letter” (Hermann Boisen (Terre Haute) to Louisa Wylie Boisen(Bloomington), April 8, 1875).
The local nurseryman was able to supply rare plants imported from abroad. Even so, the Wylies did not rely only on Heinl for their horticultural specimens. Emma Dennis, Rebecca Wylie’s sister, discusses procuring products all the way from West Chester, Pennsylvania: “This evening a box of roots came from W Chester in pretty good order”(Diary of Emma Dennis, April 29, 1872). Besides working directly with a nursery, the Wylie’s also purchased from the new catalogues. Rebecca Wylie wrote Louisa Boisen about some plants procured this way: “I have not planted the German Pansies yet I thought I would wait until August as the catalogue directs.” (Rebecca Wylie (Bloomington, IN) to Louisa Wylie Boisen(Columbia, MO), May 16, 1872. ID 1795.) The catalogues not only offered rare plants for purchase, but advice on how to raise them.
The Wylie family went to great lengths to over winter their plants and even keep them blooming during the cold weather months. Like many Victorians, they began by bringing plants inside. Often, this could have disheartening effects as Emma Dennis writes in her diary on April 17, 1875: “Several of sister’s plants are frozen, the pitcher in Toph’s room frozen solid. The plants in the clothes room frozen stiff.” Although safer than keeping the plants outside, this method could still prove difficult.
In an effort to protect their plants, the Wylies attempted a more drastic endeavor: digging pits in the ground within which they could place their more delicate plants. Emma Dennis discusses the creation of this pit to Louisa Wylie Boisen who was away from Wylie House: “The rose pit is finished and is larger than I expected. It has a shelf which will answer nicely I think for verbenas or for seeds in the spring” (Emma Dennis (Bloomington, IN) to Louisa Wylie Boisen (Terre Haute, IN), October 1, 1874. ID361.) The pit proved to be quite successful: “Friday night it suddenly turned very cold, 8 below zero. Many persons lost their flowers. We were almost afraid to look into the pit, but today was so very warm we opened it and found all right”(Rebecca Wylie (Bloomington, IN) to Louisa Wylie Boisen(Terre Haute, IN), no date). Because of this success, the Wylies were able to keep their plants blooming into the winter. These blooms were often used for winter celebrations. Louisa opened the pit for one such occasion: “The sun is shining so beautifully now that we are going into the pit to get some things for my hair tonight”(Louisa Wylie Boisen (Bloomington, IN) to Herman Boisen(Terre Haute, IN), December 18, 1874). Even with all this effort, it was not always a perfect solution. In trying to provide flowers for a friends funeral, the pit proved troublesome: “Mrs. Cookerly was buried today. We tried to open the pit to get flowers for her but it was frozen hard we were unsuccessful”(Diary of Emma Dennis, January 20, 1875). They eventually had to settle for the flowers from the plants which were being kept inside, proving that employing both techniques could be helpful. Emma Dennis wrote of the difficulties to Louisa:“…the flower stalks were not hurt and she [Rebecca] gathered quite a number of flowers from them for Mrs. Cookerly. That and smilax was all she could send as it was impossible to open the pit”( Emma Dennis to Louisa Boisen, February 2, 1875.) For more information on the pits, visit this exhibit detailing the 2018 Field School excavation on the Wylie House grounds.
When plants were successful, the Wylies happily shared their products with their community. As witnessed with the flowers provided for the funeral, the Wylies happily provided flowers to their family and neighbors. Emma Dennis writes about one bride who received bouquets from the Wylie garden: “Lizzie Dodds wedding day. We commenced making bouquets for the occasion immediately after breakfast about ten o’clock sister took them over” (Diary of Emma Dennis, November 24, 1872). They also traded plant slips creating a community with others interested in horticulture. Not only were the trades made locally, but across the country indicating the widespread interest in gardening throughout the United States. One such correspondent, Mrs. L.B. Johnson of Coatesville, Indiana wrote of the plants that she exchanged with Louisa. In one letter, she writes: “Your letter rec.d this eaving soon after I had sent a box of Cach: I am pleased with what you sent and anxious to know if you are pleased.” (Mrs. L.B. Johnson (Coatesville, IN) to Mrs. Louisa Boisen (Bloomington, IN), November 9, 1892.) One can sense Mrs. Johnson’s excitement in sharing her prized plants with Louisa and receiving new ones in return. Louisa also connected with fellow horticulturalists as far away as California. Jane Shields, who had recently moved to Los Angeles, California was still able to share her horticultural interest with Louisa. In a letter between the women sent on April 24, 1893, Jane described her foraging endeavors and the different species she had encountered while living on the West Coast. Despite living so far away, the women were still able to send plants back and forth. Jane discusses one such shipment in the letter: “I sent you by mail last week a rose, the Beauty of Glazenwood. It is the most beautiful I have ever seen”(Jane M. Shields (Los Angeles, CA) to Mrs. Louise Boisen (Bloomington, IN), April 24, 1893).