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Garden History - Thomas Jeffersons Monticello Plantation GardensThere are many wonderful and famous gardens around the world.One of my favorite gardens is relatively close to me: the Monticello gardens atThomas Jefferson’s Plantation in Virginia.Thomas Jefferson loved to garden and would collect seeds while traveling in theUnited States and overseas. Those who knew of his interest would send him uniqueseeds and plants from all over the world. Many of these seeds are now consideredheirloom seeds and are valued for their history and unique characteristics.Unfortunately Jefferson would often save seeds by calling them after who ever sendhim the seeds so Mary’s Sunflower has lost its original name like many other seedsin the collection. Work is constantly being done to identify many of these seedsorigins.The plantation can be broken down into several different areas, flowers,vegetables, fruit and the grounds. Each area had its own unique look and wasbasically an experiment and study in progress. He also had two greenhouses and apond, which he worked with water plants.Monticello Grove was an area where Jefferson planted his ornamental trees andwould invite his quests to see his “pets” as he called them. Flowering trees andshrubs from all over the world grew in his grove.The entire grounds had a unique layout that was a cross between experimentation,beauty and art. Jefferson kept complete records of his garden plantings, varietiesgrown.Included were his experiments with planting techniques and seeds.The terraced vegetable garden was where he conducted many of his growing tests andexperiments in different growing techniques. These observations were written donein his famous Garden Book, the “Garden Kalendar.” His garden varieties included250 different varieties of 70 different species of vegetables with his gardenbeing 1000 foot in length. This beautiful garden terrace served both as a supplyof food and a place where he experimented with vegetable varieties.The terrace was carved into the hillside, which actually acted as a buffer againstthe weather and allowed Jefferson to grow plants that normally would not grow inVirginia.It is reported that he grew a banana tree that actually produced fruit.The garden was at its peak during 1808 to 1812 with new plants and seeds beingintroduced each year. In 1826 Jefferson died and the gardens slowly declined. By 1836 the gardens wereis total disrepair. The land was sold and the gardens continued to decline.The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation and the Garden Club of Virginia steppedin and have restored the gardens back to their beauty.Jefferson’s gardens are a study in beauty and gardening and his love for plantsand nature are still evident after all these years.Denise Grant is a published author, photographer and artist. She owns her own
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