Historic Gardens of Virginia 



down the path from the house, emerging through an avenue of old- 

 fashioned shi-ubs into the full sunshine of the formal flower garden. 



Just at the point where the visitor alights from carriage or 

 motor may still be seen the old-time shrubs on either side of the 

 path leading to the house. A large clump of lilacs and syringa 

 with modern privet hides the exit of the underground passage to the 

 house. From this it is said that Jefferson escaped on the occasion 

 of Tarleton's raid. Two wonderful copper beeches flank the north 

 and south sides of the house on the western lawn and other hand- 

 some trees testify to Jefferson's love of the beautiful in nature. 

 In 1793, in some of his writings, he mentions that "The trees 

 planted nearest the house at Monticello are not yet full grown." 



The Arnold Arboretum calls attention to the fact that in the 

 year 1784 Thomas Jefferson, in his "Notes on the State of Vir- 

 ginia," published the first comprehensive list of the plants of Vir- 

 ginia, among which are some of the most beautiful trees and shrubs 

 of the world. 



The Marquis de Chastellux, who visited Monticello in his 

 "Travels in North America," speaks of the scores of deer in the 

 park. 



Many trees from foreign countries are planted on the eastern 

 and western lawns, and his granddaughter says "much time and 

 expense were devoted by him to improving his house and grounds. 

 While in France and England, Jefferson visited gardens with a view 

 of reproducing them in Virginia, and of importing trees and shrubs 

 from other countries. In a notebook of his is found a description 

 of Blenheim, the home of the Duke of Marlborough. His grand- 

 daughter speaks also of a garden book, and says, "This book, in 

 which he began to make entries as early as the year 1776 and which 

 he continued to keep all through life, except when from home, has 

 everything jotted down in it from the date of the earliest peach 

 blossom to the day when his wheat was ready for the sickle." 



Thomas Jefferson was known as an intelligent and progressive 

 farmer and was most careful to keep account of the operations of 



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