Some of the early gardens contained gooseberries, currants, apples, plums, herbs, vegetables, lilacs, and a few flowers such as hollyhocks bleeding hearts, larkspur, columbines, and tiger lilies.

The first apple tree in Bennington was planted by Peter Harwood near his house.

In 1748 Peter Kalm was sent to America by the Royal Acamedy of Sweden to explore all of the plant life of the new world. He is considered one of the greatest botanists of all time. He was most interested in the laurel family. Linnaeus later honored him by naming the laurels (Kalmia) after him.

Andre Michaux, a French botanist, explored the Champlain Valley in the summer of 1792. He collected and recorded about 175 plants on his journey. His son, Francois Michaux made the very same expedition through the valley about fourteen years later.

In 1798 Colonel Ira Allen wrote a letter to the Duke of Portland. In his letter he wrote "There is a garden annexed to every house, always well stored with pulse and roots for the supply of the table; parsnips, carrots, turnips, cabbage, potatoes, pumpkins ect."

Frederick Pursh explored the mountains of Vermont and made the first discovery of Braun's holly fern in America in 1807.

In 1824 the first Vermont state list of plants was published by Zadock Thompson.

Most early farmers used crude wooden plows to work their ground, but in 1825 that changed with the introduction of the first plows made with cast iron mold boards.

The Vermont Horticultural Society was founded in 1851. The society is responsible for the intrest it created in the business of raising apples as a crop. Today it is a major industry, Vermont apples are prized for their fine color and flavor.

Frederick H. Horsford had a keen intrest in the hybridizing of plants and grains. He worked at it for many years with much success. He is responsible for the telephone pea, Horsford market garden pea, beardless barley and the lily, Lilium Horsfordi.

A closing remark from Dorothy Canfield Fisher, "Vermont flowers are never bold, or luscious, or striking, but delicate in line, pure in color, translucent, bathed in the north country sunshine which draws all it touches into a gentle harmony."