Wetaskiwin District Heritage Museum Centre & City of Wetaskiwin Archives

It’s that time of year when we are all finally rolling in the green – the green of our gardens that is! For thousands of years, people have been practicing the methodology of crop rotation and companion plating to prevent disease and pests, improve soil quality, and reap a bountiful harvest. Within Central Alberta, the horticulture of the three sisters existed in many local gardens, which included sunflowers, turnips, and runner beans. These complimentary floras were planted together traditionally amongst First Nations and their combination continues to thrive amongst many green thumbs. Although earning the title of green thumb is considered complimentary in today’s world, Geoffry Chaucer’s ‘The Canterbury Tales’ (Early 1300s), described fingers and thumbs of any particular tint was highly unfavorable and viewed as a symbol of the lower class. It wasn’t until James Underwood Crockett, who hosted PBS’s ‘The Victory Garden’, coined the phrase ‘green thumb’ and deemed it as praise for those that had skills in their gardens. To prevent those green and brown garden fingers, these gloves were worn by Evelyn Blanch in her own thriving plot in Wetaskiwin.