Monticello Plantation

Before the Memorial Day Weekend got fully underway, I day-tripped down to Charlottesville on Thursday with my family to tour another piece of Historic Virginia. Thomas Jefferson's Monticello Estate is well-preserved, the gardens are historically accurate, and the guided-tours very effectively provided added-value to the experience. It was a massive enterprise keeping a plantation going, and I find it interesting to learn about the day-to-day routines and rhythms of life in past times. Of course, like most wealthy plantation owners of the era, Thomas Jefferson held hundreds of men, women and children in bondage, stealing their entire lives and the entire product of their life's work. I cannot think of his life without considering theirs, and imaging their experiences of actually working the land. Beneath the romanticized surface presentation, beyond the beautifully restored mansion and quaint vegetable and display gardens, there was the unspeakable brutality of SLAVERY, and this cannot be forgotten nor forgiven.

Main House



Flower Walk






Vegetable Garden

A Pleasure Garden

I recently attended a fundraiser for Brookside Gardens in Maryland. For a modest $5 donation, the public got a chance to tour one of the most spectacular and jaw-dropping private gardens in the area, a magical garden with a vast plant collection set amongst three acres. The Peony Collection was promoted as the tour highlight, but I found the trees and shrubs and shady nooks to be equally impressive. There was just so much to take in, so much beauty to soak up, and I took away loads of inspiration that I can now apply to my own Pleasure Garden.

George Washington's Garden

I spent 4th of July at the well-preserved historic Mount Vernon Estate, and though the day was too hot for real enjoyment to be had, I did take a quick stroll through the gardens. A pollinator's dream, there were an eye-popping array of sun perennials, from all sorts of coneflowers to zinnias and phlox. It was quite overwhelming actually, and I can't imagine how much maintenance a garden of this size must require. Hopefully, I will be able to spend more time exploring the grounds and gardens next time.

Bishop's Garden at National Cathedral

It is always a joy to visit an urban garden, especially on a day as sunny and pleasant (though windy) as this Saturday. Washington National Cathedral has an onsite garden that is like an oasis in the city, and the terraced medieval garden was packed with high-impact plants. There were herbs such as thyme and rosemary interspersed throughout the perennials and shrubs, and ancient trees from biblical times. Bishop's Garden is a hidden gem and a real treat for garden lovers.

Magnificent Middleburg

Historic Virginia Garden Week is now underway, and today I had the pleasure to visit some amazing country estates and gardens out in the Loudon-Faquier hunt country area of Middleburg. The equestrian lifestyle is quite vibrant there and the landscapes are incredibly scenic. I toured five gardens with a couple of ladies from my garden club, and what a wonderful way to spend a Spring Sunday afternoon.

Charming Charleston

I spent Easter Weekend in Charleston, the city of my birthplace, and was very impressed with the lovely traditional architecture and well-preserved historic downtown area. The weather was perfect, the food was terrific, and the many hanging baskets were beatific. I toured seven lovely properties as part of the 63th Annual Spring Festival of Houses and Gardens, and definitely Charleston is a must-see destination for the garden lovers out there.