Pioneer Information
Born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, Earle’s parents were active in the Worcester County Horticultural Society. Their interests in gardening translated to their daughter, who studied at the Gannett Institute in Boston and Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.
A pioneering female writer, Earle was successful with her first publication, The Sabbath in Puritan New England, released in 1891. Setting off on a career as an author, she gave credence to her subjects by using a wide range of sources, fieldwork and interviews. Her prolific publications - over fifteen books and numerous magazine articles on pre-industrial American society - include Home Life in Colonial Days, Child Life in Colonial Days, and the seminal landscape tome Old Time Gardens, published in 1901. Capitalizing on her broad-ranging research and interest in gardens, Old Time Gardens described the designed landscapes of colonial America in detail, seeking to enlighten a new generation with images and descriptions of gardens from the past. Chapters highlighted specific gardens, plants and architectural features, and encouraged new gardeners to learn from more historic designs. The book remained in print for more than three decades, and was an influential factor on the popularity of Colonial Revival gardens.