Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson
Among the long list of Thomas Jefferson’s many personas—from writer to inventor, statesman to architect—are two that he particularly cherished: gardener and farmer. The beautiful grounds that surround his home at Monticello still reflect those roles. Spend a fall day in the Virginia countryside with horticulturist Cindy Brown of Smithsonian Gardens focusing on Jefferson’s legacy as a man of the soil.
The day includes a house tour of Monticello and some time on your own to explore, then join Peggy Cornett, curator of plants, for a grounds and gardens tour featuring an in-depth visit to the recreation of Jefferson’s vegetable garden. The 1,000-foot-long garden terrace served as a source of food for the household and an experimental laboratory for Jefferson as scientist, gardener, and landscaper.
The restoration of the garden—called revolutionary in its scale and scope—is an expression of Jefferson's ambitious planting schemes. The region’s microclimate allowed him to grow many tropical species like sweet potatoes, peanuts, and lima beans in the same garden as traditional cool-weather crops like cauliflower, endive, and celery without artificial hot beds. Taste a bite or two of some seasonal vegetables that Cornett picks along the way.
A picnic box lunch in the Woodland Pavilion is included, as well as time to visit the exhibit Monticello as an Experiment: To Try All Things, which investigates Jefferson’s use of the estate as a testing ground for his belief that “useful knowledge” could make life more efficient and convenient and lead to the progress of the nation. Free time for viewing follows.
Jefferson, who began a vineyard at Monticello, designed the plantation house whose ruins are now at the heart of Barboursville Winery. The residence built for his rural neighbor James Barbour burned in 1884, but its remains are featured on the label of Barboursville’s wines. Conclude the day with a tour of the winery’s operations, and a wine-and-cheese tasting featuring some of Barboursville’s varieties.
Fringe stop at about 7:30 a.m.
A stop will be made en route home to purchase a meal.
