Plants in Early American Gardens - Cardinal Flower

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

The brilliant scarlet-colored flower of this summer-blooming North American species was considered the finest red in nature upon its introduction to Europe in 1629. Cardinal Flowers grow in moist woodland areas of Monticello, although the seed Thomas Jefferson sowed in a Monticello oval flower bed in 1807 was probably obtained from Philadelphia nurseryman Bernard McMahon.

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1748 Gourds for Seed Storage

Peter (Pehr) Kalm (1716-1779) Swedish-Finnish explorer, botanist, naturalist, and agricultural economist, visited America & wrote of a use for gourds in his 1748 diary. “They are particularly fit for holding seeds which are to be sent over sea; for seeds keep their power of vegetating much longer if they be put in calabashes than by any other means.”

Kalm, Pehr, 1716-1779. Peter Kalm's travels in North America; the America of 1750; the English version of 1770, rev. from the original Swedish and edited by Adolph B. Benson, with a translation of new material from Kalm's diary notes., Dover, 1966.

Plants in Early American Gardens - Maltese Cross

Maltese Cross (Lychnis chalcedonica)

Maltese Cross is an early summer-blooming perennial that bears tight clusters of bright scarlet, cross-shaped flowers on long stalks. It was an early import to the American colonies, and was listed in Philadelphia nurseryman Bernard McMahon's 1804 broadsheet as "Scarlet Lychnis." Thomas Jefferson sowed it in one of the oval beds at Monticello in 1807. The striking flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Deer-resistant.

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

South Carolina - South West View of Newport

South West View of Newport.

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 - 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.

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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