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Gardens of Monticello
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Gardens of Monticello
The Gardens of Monticello were gardens first designed by Thomas Jefferson for his plantation Monticello near Charlottesville, Virginia. Jefferson's detailed historical accounts of his 5,000 acres provide much information about the ever-changing contents of the gardens. The areas included a flower garden, a fruit orchard, and a vegetable garden. Jefferson, a connoisseur of trees, flowers, and gardening techniques, was highly interested in experimental planting and directed the design of the gardens, which contained many exotic seeds and plants from his travels abroad.
The gardens declined after Jefferson's death in 1826, when his estate was encumbered with debt. Since 1938, when the Thomas Jefferson Foundation invited its participation, the Garden Club of Virginia has worked to restore and maintain the gardens with historical accuracy.
Thomas Jefferson's interest in flowers and planting can be dated to 1766, when he began documenting his naturalistic observations in his Garden Book. Jefferson wrote detailed descriptions of the blooming patterns of various species of flowers in his family garden at his house in Shadwell, Virginia. Jefferson's interest was also sparked by the extensive literature on the subject of gardening including Philip Miller's The Gardener's Dictionary, Bernard McMahon's The American Gardener's Calendar and Thomas Whately's Observations on Modern Gardening. His approach to gardening was heavily influenced by Thomas Whaley's work and his description of the technique of naturalistic gardening.
Naturalistic design features curvilinear paths, the informal planting of flowers, unregimented, borders, wild flowers, and asymmetrical forms. Jefferson first toured English gardens in 1786 and grew especially fond of the naturalistic gardens he observed, compared to the more formal Parisian gardens. These English gardens influenced Jefferson's design of his own garden.
Jefferson inherited Monticello in 1757 and moved there in 1770. There is little documentation of any planting until 1807, most likely due to Jefferson's travels to France in 1784 and the preliminary landscaping that had to be completed. After the land was cleared, roads were built, and trees and shrubs were planted, Jefferson began planning the layout of his gardens. He collected many plants from the surrounding countryside, but also from abroad. André Thouin, Jefferson's friend and the Superintendent of the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, sent Jefferson seeds from Europe. The gardens contained many exotic species, including the empress tree from China and Japan Jefferson also had flowers from nurseries sent to him up the James and Rivanna rivers to a town near Monticello. Supplying water to the many plants at Monticello was a continuous problem for Jefferson. In 1808 Jefferson began the construction of four cisterns to collect water channeled from the roofs of buildings into gutters.
During his presidency, Jefferson made frequent visits to Monticello, often bringing with him new plants and flowers to be planted. While away, Jefferson wrote instructions to Edmund Bacon, his overseer. Most of the planting was done from 1808 to 1812. After Jefferson's death in 1826, the conditions of the gardens declined rapidly. Parts of the property were sold to pay off the large debts of his estate. New owners plowed land and planted paper mulberries and silkworm, which had the potential to generate large profits at the time.
In 1923 the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Fund (now Thomas Jefferson Foundation) was established and purchased large portions of the Monticello property. The Garden Club of Virginia was later enlisted to restore the gardens. They found that Jefferson had left extensive notes on his original planting, as well as instructions. The original plan for the gardens written by Jefferson in 1807 was found and used as the basis for the restoration project. The original beauty of the Monticello Gardens has been restored with great accuracy. Visitors can see the oval and circular flower beds around the house which Jefferson had designed and enjoyed nearly 200 years before.
A winding walk is bordered by flower beds, and twenty oval beds are planted at the corners of the house. The twenty oval beds were each planted with a different flower species with bulbs and seeds provided mainly by Bernard McMahon, a Philadelphia nurseryman. The plans for the winding flower border were laid out in 1808 and the garden was planted and tended to by Jefferson's daughters as well as elderly slaves. The winding path, modeled after English gardens which Jefferson had admired in 1786, was located behind the house. Instead of rigid, straight lines, the garden took a more natural, curved path. To keep the garden organized, Jefferson divided the border into 10-foot sections and had each section planted with a different species of flower.
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Gardens of Monticello
The Gardens of Monticello were gardens first designed by Thomas Jefferson for his plantation Monticello near Charlottesville, Virginia. Jefferson's detailed historical accounts of his 5,000 acres provide much information about the ever-changing contents of the gardens. The areas included a flower garden, a fruit orchard, and a vegetable garden. Jefferson, a connoisseur of trees, flowers, and gardening techniques, was highly interested in experimental planting and directed the design of the gardens, which contained many exotic seeds and plants from his travels abroad.
The gardens declined after Jefferson's death in 1826, when his estate was encumbered with debt. Since 1938, when the Thomas Jefferson Foundation invited its participation, the Garden Club of Virginia has worked to restore and maintain the gardens with historical accuracy.
Thomas Jefferson's interest in flowers and planting can be dated to 1766, when he began documenting his naturalistic observations in his Garden Book. Jefferson wrote detailed descriptions of the blooming patterns of various species of flowers in his family garden at his house in Shadwell, Virginia. Jefferson's interest was also sparked by the extensive literature on the subject of gardening including Philip Miller's The Gardener's Dictionary, Bernard McMahon's The American Gardener's Calendar and Thomas Whately's Observations on Modern Gardening. His approach to gardening was heavily influenced by Thomas Whaley's work and his description of the technique of naturalistic gardening.
Naturalistic design features curvilinear paths, the informal planting of flowers, unregimented, borders, wild flowers, and asymmetrical forms. Jefferson first toured English gardens in 1786 and grew especially fond of the naturalistic gardens he observed, compared to the more formal Parisian gardens. These English gardens influenced Jefferson's design of his own garden.
Jefferson inherited Monticello in 1757 and moved there in 1770. There is little documentation of any planting until 1807, most likely due to Jefferson's travels to France in 1784 and the preliminary landscaping that had to be completed. After the land was cleared, roads were built, and trees and shrubs were planted, Jefferson began planning the layout of his gardens. He collected many plants from the surrounding countryside, but also from abroad. André Thouin, Jefferson's friend and the Superintendent of the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, sent Jefferson seeds from Europe. The gardens contained many exotic species, including the empress tree from China and Japan Jefferson also had flowers from nurseries sent to him up the James and Rivanna rivers to a town near Monticello. Supplying water to the many plants at Monticello was a continuous problem for Jefferson. In 1808 Jefferson began the construction of four cisterns to collect water channeled from the roofs of buildings into gutters.
During his presidency, Jefferson made frequent visits to Monticello, often bringing with him new plants and flowers to be planted. While away, Jefferson wrote instructions to Edmund Bacon, his overseer. Most of the planting was done from 1808 to 1812. After Jefferson's death in 1826, the conditions of the gardens declined rapidly. Parts of the property were sold to pay off the large debts of his estate. New owners plowed land and planted paper mulberries and silkworm, which had the potential to generate large profits at the time.
In 1923 the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Fund (now Thomas Jefferson Foundation) was established and purchased large portions of the Monticello property. The Garden Club of Virginia was later enlisted to restore the gardens. They found that Jefferson had left extensive notes on his original planting, as well as instructions. The original plan for the gardens written by Jefferson in 1807 was found and used as the basis for the restoration project. The original beauty of the Monticello Gardens has been restored with great accuracy. Visitors can see the oval and circular flower beds around the house which Jefferson had designed and enjoyed nearly 200 years before.
A winding walk is bordered by flower beds, and twenty oval beds are planted at the corners of the house. The twenty oval beds were each planted with a different flower species with bulbs and seeds provided mainly by Bernard McMahon, a Philadelphia nurseryman. The plans for the winding flower border were laid out in 1808 and the garden was planted and tended to by Jefferson's daughters as well as elderly slaves. The winding path, modeled after English gardens which Jefferson had admired in 1786, was located behind the house. Instead of rigid, straight lines, the garden took a more natural, curved path. To keep the garden organized, Jefferson divided the border into 10-foot sections and had each section planted with a different species of flower.
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