Dean Sylvester is stuck in the past. But that's a good thing.

For the past 15 years this New Brighton resident has been the historical horticulturist at Old Economy Village in Ambridge. In that position, he strives to re-create a snapshot of the Harmonist society gardens that coincides with their peak period in the mid 1800s.

He'll be talking about his work during a lecture titled "From Seed to Harvest, the Historic Gardens at Old Economy Village" next Saturday during the Old Economy Village Spring Garden Workshop.

To fully understand the public gardens, you must understand the community from which they sprang. The Harmonist society was founded in the early 1800s by George Rapp, a German Separatist. The sect immigrated to the New World in 1804 seeking religious freedom. The settlement in Ambridge was built in 1824. It was the third and last community the Harmonists constructed.

During the years of operation, the agrarian society embraced hard work, technology and education, but also adhered to celibacy, leading to their eventual demise. With members dwindling, the community was disbanded, and the property was sold in 1905.

Today's historic site ended up in the hands of the state in 1916. It includes six acres, including 17 restored historic structures, and Mr. Rapp's formal garden.

While other gardens, such as those in Williamsburg, Va., are re-creations of what historians think they looked like, the plot that Mr. Sylvester tends has been more or less untrammeled by development.

Mr. Sylvester, with the help of a summer intern and a staff of volunteers, oversees all the plantings at the site. His jobs are many: He starts seeds and cuttings, maintains the grass and gardens, removes snow, builds grape arbors, thatches roofs and does whatever else is required to keep the property looking good.

The plants he cares for are meant to reflect a small part of what the community was growing: Grapes, from which they made wine; herbs, both medicinal and culinary; hops (for beer production); the vegetable gardens and the orchard. Everything had a use and Mr. Rapp, or Father Rapp, as he came to be called, had a talent for making money from it. At one point, the community even produced silk, for which they grew Mulberry trees to feed to the silk worms. They also sold nursery stock as well as seeds.

Father Rapp was an avid art collector, owned a natural history museum and appreciated an ornamental garden, so those amenities also were part of the community.

While the horticulturists know the formal gardens behind Father Rapp's residence contained peonies, irises, old roses and fruit trees, they are not so sure about what other type of trees were planted. No list exists.

"None of the trees around here are original," says Mr. Sylvester. The oldest is about 80 years old. "There would have been more trees."

While the workers have replanted some nonfruiting Mulberries (to cut down on mess; the originals would have been fruit-bearing), and Lindens, as well as some pear and apple trees, they are hoping that a recent archaeological dig on the site will give more information on what other types of trees grew there.

Mr. Sylvester, who learned on the job, is a man who would much rather be working than answering questions, but he did acknowledge that planting a historic garden can sometimes be limiting.

"We try to keep documenting," he says. "It's hard finding original seeds, so we try to find old varieties and make it as authentic as we can."

They also reference old seed lists, which gives them an idea of what was available.

The recent dig also has given them other information, such as where the original grape arbor was located. The arbor was shaped like a half moon, rather than in rows, like the one in the garden now. They've also pinpointed the location of a small cow barn in the formal garden.

They hope these two new discoveries will be re-created in the near future. "It all depends on funding," he says.

While the dig gave them good information, it also left muddy patches all over the property, which Mr. Sylvester will have to attend to come spring, but these days he's busy starting seeds in the snug greenhouse where his office is.

Delphiniums and begonias are popping up in flats, as are starts of geraniums, both ornamental and scented. Fig cuttings are thriving, and pots of bulbs are growing. More will be started in the coming weeks.

He says he grows about 70 varieties of annuals and about 50 types of perennials, all from seed, which he obtains from several seed companies.

Things such as red raspberries, gooseberries, sour cherries, pears and apples are also on the site.

Surprisingly, the Harmonists also had oranges and lemons.

"If they saw something, they went out and bought it," says Mr. Sylvester.

Of course, if the society existed today, the gardens would be far different than they were in the 1800s, because the Harmonists were an extremely progressive group -- except for that little celibacy issue. They even educated women in a time when few people were educated at all.

But one thing does remain the same: pesticides are not used except on rare occasions.

"People touch everything," says Mr. Sylvester with a smile. He relates stories of people sitting and eating tomatoes plucked out of the veggie beds, and children picking ripe berries during the tour.

Clearly, that doesn't bother him at all. Father Rapp might feel differently.

The Old Economy Village Workshop will be held at the Village from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. next Saturday. Lecturers include Mr. Sylvester; Bartram's Garden curator Joel T. Fry; Miles Arnott, executive director of Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve; Mary Allinson, who will discuss Longwood Gardens; Craig George, director of Hershey Gardens; and Eileen Yeager, who will speak on herbs.

In addition, there will be a garden market. Fee for the workshop is $75; lunch is included. Registration deadline is Monday. For information call: 724-266-4500, ext. 101.