Plants in Early American Gardens - Rosy Tree Mallow

Rosy Tree Mallow (Lavatera thuringiaca)

In cultivation since 1731, this southern European, summer-blooming perennial bears single, rose-pink flowers that resemble Hollyhocks. Thomas Jefferson noted planting this species along his winding flower border at Monticello in 1807. Rosy Tree Mallow forms a bushy, erect shrub with maple-like leaves.

For more information & the possible availability for purchase

Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

South Carolina - Sheldon

Sheldon.

The watercolors of Charles Fraser allow us feel the South Carolina landscape around us as we learn how it was being groomed & planted. Thanks to South Carolina native Fraser, we have a chance to see, through his eyes, the homes & gardens there as he was growing up. Although he was primarily known his miniature portraits, he also created watercolors of historical sites, homes, & landscapes. He painted while working as a lawyer, historian, writer, & politician. Today, many of Fraser's works are displayed at the Carolina Art Association & the Gibbes Art Gallery in Charleston.

Plants in Early American Gardens - Great Blue Lobelia

Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)

Great Blue Lobelia has been grown in American flower gardens since at least the beginning of the 19th century, and many Native American tribes used this native wildflower for a variety of medicinal purposes. It produces elegant spires of blue flowers in mid to late summer. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are attracted to the tubular flowers, but deer typically avoid this plant.

For more information & the possible availability for purchase

Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

South Carolina - Enclosed Well

Charles Fraser (1782-1860) The Carolina Art Association Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, South Carolina.

The watercolors of Charles Fraser allow us feel the South Carolina landscape around us as we learn how it was being groomed & planted. Thanks to South Carolina native Fraser, we have a chance to see, through his eyes, the homes & gardens there as he was growing up. Although he was primarily known his miniature portraits, he also created watercolors of historical sites, homes, & landscapes. He painted while working as a lawyer, historian, writer, & politician. Today, many of Fraser's works are displayed at the Carolina Art Association & the Gibbes Art Gallery in Charleston.

Plants in Early American Gardens - Blackberry Lily

 Blackberry Lily (Iris domestica)

 Blackberry Lily (Iris domestica)

Blackberry Lily (Iris domestica)

Thomas Jefferson planted “Chinese Ixia” in an oval flower bed at Monticello in 1807. This hardy and robust perennial, now known as Blackberry Lily, is naturalized at Monticello, perhaps from an earlier Jefferson planting. A member of the Iris tribe, Blackberry Lily bears showy orange flowers (spotted with red) in mid-summer. Ornamental, blackberry-like seeds, which appear in fall, are not edible.

For more information & the possible availability for purchase

Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello