Explorer Summer Camp

IMG_9132With the rainy Derby season upon us, it’s hard to think that Summer is just around the corner. We’re excited for a lot of things this Summer at Shaker Village, but it’s hard to top summer camp. We think our staff looks forward to it just as much as the kids do! Here’s what one of our camp counselors had to say about their camp experience last year:

This year, for the very first time, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill held our very own summer camp program—aptly titled Explorer Camp. And explore we did! Our days were jam packed with all sorts of activities. Campers moved through four main skill areas: Farm and Garden, Arts and Crafts, Nature and Outdoor Living Skills. Each day, campers learned how to do things like build fires and shelters, how to groom horses, what types of plants and animals live in The Preserve, and how natural items can be used to create unique pieces of artwork.

 

IMG_8540

 

Fun wasn’t just limited to skill areas though. Our days started off with silly songs at the Amphitheater, then campers got a chance to explore the Village with their counselors in smaller family groups. Throughout the week, we went on adventures like hiking into The Preserve and riding on the Dixie Belle Riverboat. Of course, we also enjoyed playing GaGa Ball, a fan favorite among campers and counselors alike. Played in a circle made of hay bales, this game involves using an open palm to try and hit other players below the knees with a ball. Even some of the parents jumped in during pick-up times!

 

Overall, we were able to take advantage of the amazing natural and historic resources available at Shaker Village to create a unique experience for those who attended camp. Feedback from parents has been overwhelmingly positive. We look forward to expanding the program in the future to serve even more kids!

IMG_9807I think it’s safe to say everyone had a good time. We can’t wait to explore again this year with a new bunch of kids (and some old friends we hope)! Sorry parents, but as of now, our summer camp is for KIDS only! If you are looking for a getaway, check out the Kids Stay, Play and Eat Free package at The Inn this summer. Consider staying the week at Shaker Village and exploring on your own, while the kids enjoy camp.


Explorer Summer Camp is offered June 12-16, 19-23 and 26-30 for children ages 6-12. If you have any questions about our camp program, contact Jacob Glover at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you! Learn more about Explorer Summer Camp.

The Discovery Garden

IMG_5912

The Discovery Garden

With big changes coming to the Centre Family Dwelling this summer, we had to find a new home for our herb garden. Thanks to a grant from the Whole Kids Foundation and a partnership with the Garden Club of Lexington, we were able to turn the project into something better all of our guests can enjoy. The grant will fund a shaded wheelchair-accessible program area, as well as storage for program supplies, to help us enhance our programs on herbs and native plants important to people and wildlife. This project will also reestablish the garden as a monarch waystation, as we are adding several varieties of milkweeds that are found in The Preserve.
IMG_5894

Last week, a few members of the Shaker Village team pitched in and assisted in transferring the herb garden across the Turnpike to its new home. Here’s what they had to say:


Q: What’s the purpose of an herb garden? What programs are we having this year that involve the garden?

A: It’s actually not just an herb garden anymore! We’ve renamed it the Discovery Garden because it now includes the plants from our Shaker herb garden and native plants from The Preserve that are beneficial to pollinators and other wildlife. We will continue adding plants throughout the year to expand the garden from its original purpose and layout.

The beds will be organized to highlight the different uses the Shakers and modern people have for herbs (nutrition, hygiene/health and natural dyes). Common herbs used by the Shakers, such as thyme, lavender and mints, as well as lesser known herbs such as comfrey, wormwood and orris root, can be found in this garden. Some beds will highlight the native plants that the Shakers gathered from the wild for food and medicine, as well as plants important to pollinators and other wildlife. You will also be able to find more interesting plants such as cane, prickly pear, milkweeds, passion flower, wild edible berries and more!

Once established, the Discovery Garden will be the location for new daily programs on herbs and pollinators. Visit us soon to check it out!

Merin Roseman, Program Team + Sustainability Administrator

IMG_5906
Q: What’s the most difficult herb to grow?

A: Herbs are pretty variable, but generally easy to grow.  I personally can’t keep a rosemary plant alive through the winter, but it’s a potted plant that needs to come inside for Kentucky winters, in most cases.  The past couple of years, we’ve had some challenges getting parsley to grow, but this year, it’s growing fantastically, due to having the greenhouse running!  In general, all herbs are pretty easy to grow, are multi-useful and one of the best ways to cut the grocery bill (assuming you use a lot of herbs in your cooking).

Q: Is it true that we will be selling herbs from our garden this year? What herbs will we be selling?

A: We are growing herbs, along with several other garden plants, to sell in The Shops this year. This spring, you will be able to purchase some annual herbs such as basil, parsley and fennel. We also plan to sell onion sets, which can be considered an herb or vegetable. I’m also starting several perennial herbs, such as oregano, spearmint, thyme and lemon balm. The perennials grow slower, and I plan to transplant some of what we grow to the herb garden and in the farm area throughout the year with plans to sell them in the future if they do well.

Dylan Kennedy, Farm Manager

IMG_5896

Q: Did you learn anything fun during this process? What do you like to tell the guests about the herb garden?

A: Going into this project I had a limited knowledge of herbs—so I learned quite a bit. First, the Shakers would have only kept plants (herbs) that were of use, so nothing simply for decorative purposes as some people do today. Also, I learned that herbs have all kinds of uses: medicines, foods and to provide coloring for clothes. I’ll definitely be using some of these facts on my daily tours!

Jacob Glover, Program Specialist


Q: Did you learn anything fun during this process? What do you like to tell the guests about the herb garden?

A: The project was exciting to participate in! I especially enjoyed learning about the structure and space requirements of each plant as they were arranged in each bed. I enjoyed picking up some of the Shaker terminology for the herb gardens, such as the “physic garden” to describe the medicinal herb beds, the “sauce garden” in reference to the culinary beds and the “dye garden” for creating natural dyes. I am eager to see the garden come to life after learning about the many native plants we transplanted and additional native species to be planted in the future!

Rebekah Roberts, Program Specialist

IMG_5919
Q: How long have we had an herb garden at Shaker Village? Did the Shakers have an herb garden?
A: Initial funding for the Centre Family garden was provided by the Glenview Garden Club of Louisville, with development for the project beginning as early as 1968. Two years after the garden’s initial installation in 1977, the garden was reconstructed to replicate a design found in the Shakers’ journals, though on a smaller scale. While this particular herb garden has been situated on the west side of Centre Family since the 1970s, the original location of Centre Family’s medicinal garden is unknown.

Q: What did the Shakers use herbs for?

A: The Shakers used herbs in a variety of capacities, but, primarily, those grown in their gardens and gathered from their property were garnered for medicinal use within the community. Beyond Pleasant Hill though, the Shakers marketed their dried and pressed herbs in the form of powders, pills and extracts—often selling them as far south as New Orleans.

Emalee Krulish, Archivist


Stop by and visit The Discovery Garden during your next visit! Check out our events calendar and plan your next trip. 

Opulent Okra

As fall rapidly approaches, the summer stalwarts of the garden often choose to go out with a bang. Tomatoes ripen at twice the rate of past weeks, as do the peppers. No crop displays this late season grandeur more dramatically than okra. This rarely recognized, often misunderstood plant thrives during summer’s most relentless heat more so than all the rest and likewise is the first to show signs of the cooler nights. This is the time it’s been waiting for—as have we.

okra

The magnificent flowers that precede the okra pods last longer into the day, thanks to the cooler weather, and are perhaps the most striking flowers to grow in the garden all year. Closely related to hibiscus, they put on quite a show, perched atop 6-ft. plants and producing new flowers at break-neck pace. What comes next are the fruits, which seem to grow at twice the rate the flowers do. Often three harvests per week is not enough to stay on top of the onslaught. By now, we’ve used the pods for nearly everything we can think of, and large pots of gumbo seem increasingly appropriate as we begin to add layers of clothing in the evenings.

Throughout the season, some of the pods just slip past us. Mortal gardeners are rarely able to get them all before they go tough and so they accumulate. These striped and dried oddities—often in excess of 8 inches—will have other novel uses. The seeds rattle more as the pods dry out, making them a fine choice for Halloween garlands. The choicest of these, however, have an even deeper purpose—to ensure the next generation. We’ve been saving our own okra seeds for three years now, and each year our plants grow more accustomed to our soils and our practices—and perhaps, even to us. Soon these plants will be at the mercy of winter, an ordeal they will not survive, but they’ve made it easy for us to ensure we’ll be enjoying them for years to come.


The Trustees’ Table is making okra soup, sautéing it with fresh tomatoes as a side dish and pickling it to serve in relish bowls. The next time you join us for a meal, ask about the okra and tell ’em Dylan sent ya!


Dylan Kennedy is the farm manager. An avid mountain biker and traveler, he has farmed as far and wide as…

Great things happen here.

GLINTstudios_STORY_ShakerVillage_0040

Our staff works hard every day to inspire you! You’ve likely met many of them—Dylan in the garden, Brad in the dining room, Aaron in the Centre Family Dwelling. But, there are countless others bustling behind the scenes to bring you experiences that spark discovery.

For instance, Robert is bringing the West Family Wash House back to life. Claudia is picking fresh herbs for a new recipe tonight. Richard is getting the Dixie Belle ready for tomorrow’s cruises. Merin is harvesting honey for you to taste. Sharon is tidying your room before you check in. Wally is keeping the turnpike neat and orderly. Rosemary is stocking the shelves with new merchandise. Laura is marking the trails so you can find your way. Randall is tuning the HVAC so you can take a break from the heat. Jenny is researching a new Shaker-modern program to share.

All across our 3,000 acres, farmers, chefs, naturalists, painters, archivists, craftsmen and storytellers are working hard to make great things happen. Shaker Village is not a window into the past only to be peered at from behind the ropes. It is a Village at work. Come see for yourself. Get your hands dirty, try something new, expand your imagination and explore Kentucky.

This is Shaker Village. We hope it inspires you to do great things.


Maynard Crossland is the president. You’ll hear his laughter before you see him. Maynard’s energy and enthusiasm is contagious, along with his contemporary approach to leading Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill [….]