There aren't many gardens (at least in the United States) that require the services of an archaeologist. But at George Washington's home, Mt. Vernon, Director of Archaeology Esther White (above) has recently discovered that Washington's "pleasure garden" (known as the Upper Garden) was very different than the garden that exists on the same site today.
In a recent meeting with garden writers, White said that a new "dig" in the garden has revealed that the arrangement of space and what was planted there are much different than what historians have thought.
White's team is sifting through soil and uncovering new, older paths in different locations; they're collecting soil samples and sending them to a lab at the University of Massachusetts to determine what was planted. White explained that 18th century plant remains, including seeds, pollen, and silica crystals, can date the layer of soil where they were found. They know already that Washington's garden contained daffodils and corn, boxwood and flowers, maybe fruit trees and other vegetables.
The dig began after the garden staff concluded that ancient boxwoods, now diseased, could not be saved and would have to be removed. It's believed the original boxwoods were replaced in the 1850's anyway, and of course the boxwoods planted in Washington's time were much smaller. The current plan is to restore the garden (above) to its authentic state at the time Washington lived there. There are many plant records left by Washington, but the picture is incomplete, particularly since several gardens have since existed on the site.
In the mid-19th century, the garden was laid out in a very geometric pattern of large squares and rectangles. About 1870, the Mt. Vernon Ladies' Association planted a Victorian-style rose garden on the original site, and the garden was restored again in 1985, in order to re-position flower beds in their original locations and plant them with annuals and perennials that were identified by Mt. Vernon visitors of the time. Those plants included crown imperial, cardinal flower, and guelder roses, along with fruit trees and the boxwood.
According to White, it's now believed that Washington's original garden was far more "linear," and that flowers, vegetables and fruit trees were interspersed together in planting beds that were outlined with English boxwood. The plans suggest the garden shape was "very simple" she says, as was "not as symmetrical as it appears."
When the archaeological excavations are over, Mt. Vernon staff will then complete plans (in 2011) to restore the Upper Garden, as much as possible, to its original 18th century state as a pleasure garden for Washington and his many Mt. Vernon visitors.
The iconic Mt. Vernon picture.
(click on photos to enlarge)
(photos ©Jane Berger)
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