War Garden at the Library of Congress

To mark this year's centennial of America entering the Great War, the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) recreated a War Garden as it would have been during World War I. These gardens, also referred to as Victory Gardens, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences, public parks, school yards and more to increase food supplies without increasing the use of land or labor already dedicated to agricultural work.

The Library Buildings and Grounds team at the AOC adopted materials, planting schedules and methods such as companion planting and succession planting, from period publications. The vegetables are primarily heirloom varieties available to the public in 1917. Follow the progress with #WarGarden100 on Twitter and Instagram, or check out the gardens in person by visiting them at the Southwest, Southeast and Northwest corners of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Memorial Building.

Crops harvested from the AOC War Gardens will be donated to local food banks.