The Garden Shed [archives]

There is little physical evidence of the beginnings and dealings of the Hildegard von Bingen Society for Gardening Companions. The historical record hints at gatherings, glimpsed through diary entries, letters, material objects, and allusions in compositions and poems. But what is known about the society is the result of imaginative research and a good dose of speculation.

When the archive and history books don’t yield the desired stories, you have to look elsewhere.

A gardening society run by women and queer people that was passed on by word of mouth throughout the centuries and in different countries, a society that focused on gardening,  care, and collaborative making outside of institutionalised and legitimised spaces and structures may not be the easiest subject for scholarly endeavours. The evidence we have is flawed, provisional, and inconsistent. But, as Jose Esteban Muñoz notes, perhaps ‘evidence’ is not a helpful intellectual category for those who’ve been left out of the historical record: ‘Instead of being clearly available as visible evidence, queerness has instead existed as innuendo, gossip, fleeting moments’. Along those (invisible or partially visible) lines, we want to follow the ephemeral and performative gestures and trust the unofficial accounts.

What’s more, we believe in research as collaboration and dialogue. We therefore invite you to assist us with our investigations: do you know of any historical women and queers for whom the bonds of  friendship and anchored roots were so strong that they, too, may have been taking part in the quest to preserve and pass on Hildegard’s musical, mystical knowledge of the gardens?

What have you heard? 
We are slowly beginning to build and share our archives, but as so little information about this collective is written, we are relying on stories, gossip, and hearsay. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to share any information you might have. We are all ears. 

Write to us at:

hildegardsgardeningcompanions [at] gmail [dot] com