The Garden Club of Virginia's partnership with Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest has completed the second part of the Phase I landscape restoration with the recent planting of the tree clumps just as Jefferson originally did over 200 years ago.

 

These tight plantings of trees, "clumps", as Jefferson called them, were elements of eighteenth century English landscape style popularized by William Kent. Jefferson would have seen many examples on his 1786 tour of English gardens with his friend, John Adams. Although rare in the American landscape, Alexander Hamilton had a remarkable example at his house, The Grange, in New York, and Jefferson's friend, William Hamilton, used this same feature at his Philadelphia estate, The Woodlands, whose landscape Jefferson greatly admired. There is also evidence that George Washington planted clumps at Mount Vernon, and Jefferson used them at the White House, at Monticello, and of course at Poplar Forest.

Newly Planted Poplar Forest Clumps in Bloom

The replanting of these clumps at Poplar Forest marks the first restoration of this striking 18th century landscape feature anywhere in America.

 

The restoration process began with Jefferson's own words recorded in his garden book in November of 1812: "Plant a clump of Athenian and Balsam poplars each corner of the house. Intermix locusts, common and Kentucky, redbuds, dogwoods, calycanthus, liriodendron."

 

Discovering the meaning behind these words and bringing this unique landscape feature back to Poplar Forest has taken a tremendous amount of research, both historical and archaeological. Jack Gary, Poplar Forest's director of Archaeology and Landscapes, and Will Rieley, landscape architect for The Garden Club of Virginia, have collaborated and  led a great team of researchers who worked painstakingly on this project. The onsite archaeology including identifying plant stains in the soil combined with delving into Jefferson's copious records which show his use of a surveyor's chain in laying out his landscape has resulted in the placement of trees and shrubs in the exact locations that Jefferson used 200 years ago.

 

Archaeological work continues on the third part of the first phase of the landscape restoration that includes the carriage turnaround and the central oval bed at the approach to the house. Research has established that the boxwood there were not from the Jefferson period, but the investigation is ongoing to discover Jefferson's original plan for that part of the landscape.

 

There is no doubt that all the lessons learned from this exploration of Jefferson's landscape at Poplar Forest, specifically his ingenious marriage of geometry with nature, will have important implications for other historic landscape restorations in Virginia and beyond.

       

Catherine Madden

The Lynchburg Garden Club

 

 

At our last Maintenance Workshop, we received this interesting question: "How does one meld the great strides in horticulture with the historically old?"  It is a huge topic, of course, but I shall try to address a couple of aspects of it that we encounter working with historic properties.  First, we must always acknowledge that the re-creation of historic landscapes is a more challenging and imperfect exercise than restoring a historic building or its interior.  Landscapes are, by their nature, mutable-ever changing.  Secondly, we live in literally a different world than did historical figures-one with introduced competing plants and new pests and pathogens. So, even under the best conditions and with a clear interpretive mission, we must be prepared for compromise with historical accuracy. Nevertheless, at historic sites strictly interpreted to the life of a particular person, like Monticello or Mount Vernon, we strive to reveal the varieties of plants that would have been available at these times, and to demonstrate the cultural methods of the time as faithfully as we practically can.

 

Some historic gardens are designed, not to illustrate one particular time, but evolution over time.  Eyre Hall on Virginia's Eastern Shore is a great example of this approach.  The layout of the garden is from the early 19th century; the beautiful English boxwood were added in the mid-to late 19th century, crape-myrtles in the early 20th, and wonderful flower gardens under the guidance of experienced horticulturalists in the late 20th and early 21st century.  This layering of history as each generation puts its own mark on the garden not only gives a depth of interest to the experience, but it allows for the introduction of advanced cultivars and cultural methods over time.  Gaymont/Rose Hill, in Caroline County, and Mount Sharon, in Orange County, are other examples of historic gardens that have been revitalized with more contemporary plantings.  Either approach is valid,and adds to our understanding of historic gardens if the re-created landscape is presented for what it is - a garden at a point in time or a garden through time.

 

The growing season is upon us, and along with all the blooms of spring and summer comes the never ending tasks of watering and weeding.  Once again, the GCV Garden Maintenance Manual has a few tips for making our lives as gardeners much easier.

 

As we all know, maintaining a moist soil is essential for good growth. "The watering program should be managed so that the soil is watered thoroughly to the depth of six inches, even if it dries out slightly between watering."  This type of watering encourages deep root growth; the ultimate goal for healthy plants. Just watering the surface area of the garden will cause roots to grow nearer to the surface and to then dry out faster, causing the plant to suffer. One also must be careful not to overwater. To insure this doesn't happen, "one inch of water applied per week if it hasn't rained should suffice."  The Manual also points out that "soaker hoses and drip irrigation are better for watering plants than sprinklers because water on foliage encourages diseases.

 

Weeding is an ongoing chore and challenge.  Here are a few helpful suggestions.  First of all - Mulch, Mulch, Mulch.  Using mulches in the form of compost will help keep weeds down. "At a historic site it is more appropriate to use decomposed compost as mulch rather than modern mulching materials." By using decomposed compost, one is easily able to remove the weeds by hand whenever they appear.  If compost is not available, pine straw makes a good, natural mulch. The mulch should be about two inches deep. Do not place the mulch right against the plants; leave space to prevent insect and moisture damage. Also, weed regularly, never let weeds go to seed, and have good, sharp weeding tools.  Diligence is the gardener's most powerful tool against weeds.  Deal with them as soon as they appear.

 

Suzanne Wright

The Petersburg Garden Club

 

Historic Landscape Institute "Preserving Jefferson's Gardens and Landscapes"

June 22 - 27, 2014

 

This one-week course will use the gardens and landscapes of Monticello and the University of Virginia as an outdoor classroom for the study of historic landscape preservation. Lectures, workshops, field trips, and practical working experiences will provide an introduction to the fields of landscape history, garden restoration, and historical horticulture. Fee charged; registration and application required.  

 

Call 434-984-9816 or visit http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/historic-landscape-institute

  

Colonial Revival at the Crossroads: Colonial Revival landscapes-their significance, challenges and preservation

October 31 - November 1, 2014

Stratford Hall

Thank you to Roxanne Brouse of Rieley and Associates for providing images.

 

Newsletter Editors: Candy Crosby, Albemarle Garden Club and Ann Gordon Evans, The Huntington Garden Club

Copy Editor: Judy Perry, The Elizabeth River Garden Club

Technical Support: Nina Mustard, The Williamsburg Garden Club