Coal Gardens

Chickie · 11-20-2008, 02:30 PM

Does anyone remember coal gardens? The craze took hold in the mid 1940’s and just about every home had a coal garden growing somewhere, especially those with children. We would mix up a concoction and pour it over lumps of coal. I know a couple of the ingredients were ammonia and bluing, but there may have been others. The coals were dotted with iodine and the liquid was poured over them. In a few days it was blooming gloriously in various colors. I don’t know whether it was a phenomenon throughout the country or just an east coast or New England thing. Are there any other former coal gardeners in this forum?

Resident 2B · 11-21-2008, 12:11 AM

I remember that!

What grew was both colorful and had interesting shapes.

Those days coal was everywhere. In the winter, the noise of the coal deliveries, with the coal running down the chute into the basement, would carry all over the nieghborhood.

If you had not asked, I would never had remembered. It was stored very deep in the gray matter.

R2B

ITD · 11-21-2008, 07:31 AM

I never did it, little before my time, but I found it on the internets. It says any porous material will work as a base. Enjoy.

http://www.mrsstewart.com/pages/scginstructions.htm

11-20-2008, 02:30 PM	#1
Chickie Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 367 Thanks: 0 Thanked 67 Times in 38 Posts	Coal Gardens Does anyone remember coal gardens? The craze took hold in the mid 1940’s and just about every home had a coal garden growing somewhere, especially those with children. We would mix up a concoction and pour it over lumps of coal. I know a couple of the ingredients were ammonia and bluing, but there may have been others. The coals were dotted with iodine and the liquid was poured over them. In a few days it was blooming gloriously in various colors. I don’t know whether it was a phenomenon throughout the country or just an east coast or New England thing. Are there any other former coal gardeners in this forum?

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11-21-2008, 12:11 AM	#2
Resident 2B Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North Shore, MA Posts: 1,352 Thanks: 987 Thanked 310 Times in 161 Posts	I remember that! What grew was both colorful and had interesting shapes. Those days coal was everywhere. In the winter, the noise of the coal deliveries, with the coal running down the chute into the basement, would carry all over the nieghborhood. If you had not asked, I would never had remembered. It was stored very deep in the gray matter. R2B

11-21-2008, 07:31 AM	#3
ITD Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonboro, NH Posts: 2,860 Thanks: 461 Thanked 666 Times in 366 Posts	I never did it, little before my time, but I found it on the internets. It says any porous material will work as a base. Enjoy. http://www.mrsstewart.com/pages/scginstructions.htm