Washington's Gardens at Mount Vernon [Hardcover]

Mac Griswold (Author), Roger Foley (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1999

For gardeners and readers of early American history, here is the first book to document the unknown George Washington --- landscaper, farmer, and gardener of Mount Vernon. Remarkably, the George Washington who spent forty-five years designing and planting the gardens at Mount Vernon is virtually unknown today, hidden behind the icon of the first president's frozen dignity. In her new book, Mac Griswold reveals to us a man who gathered seed, transplanted and pruned trees, and designed a kitchen garden, a pleasure garden, and even a botanical garden, where he did all the experimental work himself. Washington left for historians and restorationists a wealth of memos, directives, diaries, plans, and plant lists that documented every step of his creation (and now the recreation) of his gardens. Out of this wealth of archival material, Griswold paints a remarkably vivid picture of eighteenth-century gardening.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this engaging book, Griswold (The Golden Age of American Gardens, Abrams, 1991) draws a very appealing and human portrait of George Washington as farmer and gardener. She notes that the "secret George," a figure increasingly remote from our time, can be seen as more accessible through his "passionate domesticity." Her text conjures up a man who walked his fields, puttered in his gardens, and, when politics called him away, shopped at nurseries for desirable plants to ship home. It is also a fascinating introduction to gardening and farming practices in late 18th-century America. Washington tried many agricultural innovations, though ultimately the infertility of the land defeated many of them. Nor does Griswold ignore the reality of slave labor at the plantation, "the unwilling machinery of his farm." Washington's innovations made more work for them, but some ultimately benefited by becoming skilled farmers rather than unskilled field hands. The beauty of his garden design has endured, however, and Griswold includes many tips from the present gardeners at Mount Vernon on growing plants typical of Washington's day. Recommended for most gardening collections. [This book is being published to coincide with the restoration of Mount Vernon's gardens; this year is also the bicentennial of Washington's death.AEd.]ABeth Clewis Crim, Prince William P.L., V.
-ABeth Clewis Crim, Prince William P.L., VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Mac Griswold, the author of Washington's Gardens at Mount Vernon, is a cultural landscape historian whose numerous awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship in architecture and design.  She has been contributing editor for House and Garden and has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Travel & Leisure. 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (May 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395929709
• ISBN-13: 978-0395929704
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #577,690 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Garden of the Father of Our Country, July 30, 2008

By 

Classicdude (River City) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Washington's Gardens at Mount Vernon (Hardcover)

This is an interesting and informative book about the gardens that George Washington spent 45 years planning and tending for his home, Mount Vernon. The stylish new photographs are supplemented by historic drawings, some from the archives of the museum. Various out-buildings are shown along with the landscape garden, kitchen garden, pleasure garden and a botanical garden where Washington experimented. In addition, there is a listing of Washington's trees and shrubs, eighteenth century flowers, bulbs and roses currently grown at Mount Vernon, and a list of what George Washington grew from seed. This a good reference for all interested in the history of gardens in America.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beatiful and fascinating, May 7, 2003

By 

Miguette Chapin (NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Washington's Gardens at Mount Vernon (Hardcover)

This lovely book, full beatiful photographs is a must for any one interested in American history and garden history in general. In fact it gives us Americans a garden history (slavery excluded) to be as proud of as the British are of theirs.
Lots of well researched interesting facts, useful advice, historical insight and pretty pictures make this book thoroughly enjoyable and I recomend it highly.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beatiful and fascinating, May 7, 2003

By 

Miguette Chapin (NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Washington's Gardens at Mount Vernon (Hardcover)

This lovely book, full beatiful photographs is a must for any one interested in American history and garden history in general. In fact it gives us Americans a garden history (slavery excluded) to be as proud of as the British are of theirs.
Lots of well researched interesting facts, useful advice, historical insight and pretty pictures make this book thoroughly enjoyable and I recomend it highly.