Garden to Table -

Adriaan de Lelie (1755-1820) In the Kitchen preparing Fish and Garden Vegetables    Detail

Plants in Early American Gardens - Double Columbine

Double Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris plena)

Double Columbines in mixed colors were listed for sale in 1804 by Bernard McMahon, the Philadelphia nurseryman who supplied Thomas Jefferson with many plants for Monticello. Various forms and colors of European Columbine were being grown in America by 1700, and doubles were considered the most desirable. This short-lived but self-seeding perennial with flowers of blue, pink, purple, or white will thrive in fertile, cool soils.

For more information & the possible availability
Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

South Carolina - View of Richmond

Another View of Richmond.

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 - Nora Barlow Columbine

Nora Barlow Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris cv.)

Nora Barlow Columbine, a modern name honoring Charles Darwin’s granddaughter, is in fact an old, unusual type of double-flowered, short-spurred columbine known as far back as the 16th century. This short-lived but self-seeding perennial with rose-pink, green-tinged flowers will thrive in fertile, cool soils.

For more information & the possible availability
Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

\\\ South Carolina - 1769 Charleston Poetic Description

1773 Charleston, South Carolina. Library of Congress

Early views of Charleston do not portray the genteel town of our imaginations.

Charles-town 1769.
Black and white all mix’d together,
Inconstant, strange, unhealthful weather
Burning heat and chilling cold
Dangerous both to young and old
Boisterous winds and heavy rains
Fevers and rheumatic pains
Agues plenty without doubt
Sores, boils, the prickling heat and gout
Musquitos on the skin make blotches
Centipedes and large cock-roaches
Frightful creatures in the waters
Porpoises, sharks and alligators
Houses built on barren land
No lamps or lights, but streets of sand
Pleasant walks, if you can find ’em
Scandalous tongues, if any mind ’em
The markets dear and little money
Large potatoes, sweet as honey
Water bad, past all drinking
Men and women without thinking
Every thing at a high price
But rum, hominy and rice
Many a widow not unwilling
Many a beau not worth a shilling
Many a bargain, if you strike it,
This is Charles-town, how do you like it.

This poem was written by a Captain Martin, captain of a British warship, a Man of War.

Plants in Early American Gardens - Early Blood Turnip-rooted Beet

Early Blood Turnip-rooted Beet (Beta vulgaris cv.)

Thomas Jefferson regularly planted Red, Scarlet, and White beets in the Monticello vegetable garden. Early Blood Turnip-rooted Beet was introduced c. 1820; in Field and Garden Vegetables of America (1863), Fearing Burr noted its deep blood-red, “remarkably sweet and tender” flesh, its rapid growth, and popularity among market-gardeners. This variety bears edible, dark leaves with bright red stems, and stores well for winter use.

For more information & the possible availability
Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

South Carolina - South View of Fort Mechanic Charleston, July 4, 1796.

South View of Fort Mechanic Charleston, July 4, 1796.

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 - Eastern Red Columbine

Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Thomas Mann Randolph, Jefferson's son-in-law, observed this perennial wildflower blooming on April 30, 1791, at Monticello.The Eastern Red Columbine's pendulous yellow and red flowers are quite attractive. John Tradescant, a 17th century English plant explorer, introduced this species into European gardens.

For more information & the possible availability
Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

South Carolina - Rice Hope Plantation from One of the Rice Fields

c 1796. Charles Fraser (1782-1860). Detail of Settee on a Hill at Rice Hope Plantation from One of the Rice Fields. South Carolina. The Carolina Art Association Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. Read had been a Surgeon in the Continental Line during the Revolution. The name Rice Hope was one of the many such hopeful combinations; there were also a Silk Hope, a Salt Hope amp; a Brick Hope near the Cooper River.

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 - Sunset Hibiscus

Sunset Hibiscus (Abelmoschus manihot)

Sunset Hibiscus was introduced into Europe from East India by 1712 and listed by Philadelphia nurseryman Bernard McMahon in his 1806 American Gardener's Calendar. This herbaceous temperennial (often grown as an annual) is related to Okra, and bears large, showy, pale yellow blossoms in summer and striking, deeply-lobed, edible leaves. The plants often self-sow, and are not attractive to deer.

For more information & the possible availability
Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

South Carolina - Birdseye View of 17956 Charleston

1796. Charles Fraser (1782-1860). View from Mr. Fraser’s City Residence from untitled sketchbook, The Carolina Art Association Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, South Carolina. Apparently Fraser lived on King Street with his widowed mother.

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 - Italian Parsley

Italian Parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum)

Thomas Jefferson grew the plain-leaf or Italian Parsley as early as 1774 and listed it as Common Parsley in his vegetable garden calendar. This flat-leaf type is considered more flavorful than the curled form also planted by Jefferson. Parsley can be grown as an annual or biennial; if allowed to flower in its second year, parsley will attract butterflies and other beneficial insects.

For more information & the possible availability
Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

South Carolina - Gatehouse

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 - Money Plant

Money Plant (Lunaria annua)

Money Plant, or Honesty, is a self-seeding biennial named for its showiest feature--its 2-foot stalks of silvery, coin-shaped seedpods, which are attractive in dried arrangements. It was among the first European flowers grown in American gardens, and was valued for its seedpods and edible roots. Seeing the small purple flowers on April 25, 1767, Jefferson remarked, "Lunaria still in bloom, an indifferent flower."

For more information & the possible availability
Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

South Carolina - Haystack, Horse, & Cart in the Field

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 - White Foxglove

White Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea 'Alba')

White Foxglove, a showy biennial bearing spires of white tubular flowers in late spring and early summer, was grown by Williamsburg’s John Custis in 1735. Philadelphia nurseryman Bernard McMahon listed both the pink and white forms in his 1804 broadsheet. Deer-resistant due to toxicity.

For more information & the possible availability
Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

Plants in Early American Gardens - Foxglove

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Foxglove, a showy biennial bearing spires of deep pink tubular flowers in late spring and early summer, was grown in American gardens by 1735, and likely became more common after its medicinal properties were discovered in the late 18th century. Philadelphia nurseryman Bernard McMahon listed both the pink and white forms in his 1804 broadsheet. Deer-resistant.

For more information & the possible availability
Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

Gardens Display Economic & Cultural Ambitions - Enlightenment...

Gardening for Enlightenment

The end of the 18th century saw increased social stability in the colonies & a climax of a revolution in science, associated with Sir Isaac Newton, that resulted in fundamental changes in man’s attitude toward the world about him. For the enlightened Chesapeake gardener, the garden nourished mind & spirit as well as body. The American pleasure garden became a visual expedient, combining the religious Eden myth with an evolving set of social & political goals, espoused by, among others, Thomas Jefferson & later by J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur.

These religious & social concepts coincided with revolutionary new ideas about human beings’ conceptual processes that were shaped by John Locke & Joseph Addison. In the 18th century, Locke was interpreted to believe that visual images, such as those of the garden, were the primary conduit through which humans gained knowledge of external reality.

Joseph Addison 1672-1719 wrote of a spectrum of modes of perception, with the gross sensual pleasures at one pole & pure intellect at the other. The garden was an ideal illustration of Addison’s conceptual theory; because it appealed to all of the senses of the human animal, who tended to submerge these instincts, as he became more cerebral. The goal was some balance of the two. Addison stated, “We find the works of nature still more pleasant, the more they resemble those of art.” Nature & the garden were vehicles to sharpen both intellect & spirit. Just after reading Addison’s works, one Chesapeake gentleman wrote to a friend, “The imagination acts intuitively; it seizes at once the sublimest parts as the eye catches objects. Nature, Hills, rocks, woods, precipices, water-falls rush upon the mind.”

Later, Crevecoeur saw the virgin American land filling Everyman’s mind with irresistible aspirations, but he too believed that pure nature was not as inspiring as improved nature. Landscape should be ordered by humans, a collaboration of human vision & toil plus nature’s spontaneous process. “This formerly rude soil has been converted by my father into a pleasant farm,” he wrote, “and in return it has established all our rights.” Crevecoeur saw a direct relationship between ordering the land & gaining political freedom. He theorized that people, like plants, derived their “flavor” from the soil, & he declared that America’s soil was still pure. Crevecoeur believed that in America, with its newly emerging institutions, the relationship between people & the external environment they shaped around them was extremely important.

In his Notes on Virginia, Jefferson stated that the physical attributes of the land were less important than its metaphoric powers. The land was an image in the mind of the new American citizen, representing aesthetic, political, & religious values. In Notes, Jefferson wrote, "Cultivators of the earth are the most virtuous and independant citizens." In the 18th century, the garden was seen by many as an important visual determinant in the actions & responses of people.

Even a clockmaker-innkeeper was aware of the impact of these ideas on his life in the newly emerging nation; among the names William Faris gave the tulips he cultivated were “Sir Isaac Newton,” “The Spectator,” “Jefferson” & “The Farmer.”

Literate citizens of the new nation were looking to the Italian Renaissance & its classical antecedents for artistic & scientific knowledge, as well as for guidance in establishing their new republic. The 1783 catalogue of the circulating library in Annapolis & the 1796 catalogue of the Library Company of Baltimore offered their patrons Renaissance authors, such as Palladio, & their classical predecessors: Virgil, Horace, Pliny, & Columella. Columella believed that agriculture & gardening were “sister to wisdom.”

Plants in Early American Gardens - Sweet William

 Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)

Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)

Thomas Jefferson observed "sweet William began to open" at Shadwell on April 16, 1767, reported flowers in May and June of 1782, and also planted this biennial in an oval flower bed at Monticello in 1807. Sweet William is often associated with early American gardens and continues to be cherished for its large clusters of red, pink, and white blooms.

For more information & the possible availability
Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello