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FAIRFIELD — Petunias, hostas and daylilies in front yards are common place nowadays. But in the 1800s, this type of luxury signified wealth.

A pair of Fairfield residents are recreating how the many former owners of the Elisha Morgan Mansion showed their wealth, which they said will provide the community with a rich horticultural history of various periods since 1817.

"We're hoping to depict the different eras of the residents that lived there," said master gardener and Four Seasons Garden Club member Lois Kingsley.

Kingsley and fellow master gardener and club member Libby Head are required to complete a project as part of their master garden program with the Ohio State University Extension office. After receiving project approval, the duo started last year in what is planned to be a five- to 10-year project.

From the Eastern Red Buds and wild flowers planted to vintage grapes and herbs, the garden will be a literal piece of living history, Kingsley said.

"A lot of the herbs that they grew, they used for medicinal purposes. Wild flowers were thought to help cured a tooth ache," Kingsley said.

Head said the project was something they wanted to do for the city, and the city leaders, while they could not provide the manpower, could help with materials. Head said volunteers, other club members and those serving community service through Fairfield Municipal Court helped with the landscaping and planting.

Parks and Recreation Director Jim Bell said the city is thankful for the two ladies' efforts.

"We could not do it," Bell said. "We have the green thumb guys, but we have so many things going on that we couldn't identify the Morgan Mansion to be that show piece."

"I'm just so excited to see it develop," Head said. "We would like to teach the public about the natural part of history."

"The more I learn about it, the more excited I get," said Kingsley, who researched the historical aspects of the former farm for the project.

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com.

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