Montpelier Station in Orange County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Garden
Discovering Madison
Photographed By Michael C. Wilcox, July 30, 2012
1. The Garden Marker
"It was a paradise of roses and other flowers, to say nothing of the strawberries, and vegetables; every rare plant and fruit was sent to him by his admiring friends, who knew his taste, and they were carefully studied and reared by the gardener and his black aids."
-Mary Cutts, Memoir, c. 1840
The Garden, by its nature, changes with the seasons and over time. Today, Montpelier's colorful flowers reflect the twentieth-century tastes of the duPonts, although traces of the Madison garden may survive in the plan of paths and parterres. Early documents describe a useful yet beautiful, paradise of peach trees, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. The garden yielded food as homely as turnips and as exotic as figs. It also served as a laboratory for scientific agriculture: Madison happily experimented with seeds and plants that he swapped with friends. Finally, and at its loveliest, the garden's roses, Cape jessamine, pinks, and lilies offered visual delight to all who walked there.
Erected by Montpelier Foundation. (Marker Number 21.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Horticulture & Forestry • Science & Medicine • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1840.
Location. 38°
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Homes for Enslaved Families (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Backyard (about 300 feet away); The Quarters (about 400 feet away); The Road (about 500 feet away); Madison Farm Complex (about 600 feet away); The Blacksmith Shop (about 700 feet away); The African American Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Slave Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montpelier Station.
More about this marker. On the right is a illustration courtesy of Special Collections Department, University of Virginia, captioned Rose illustration by Philip Miller. Miller's gardening dictionary was in Madison's library.
Also see . . . Annie duPont Formal Garden. Page from the Montpelier web site. (Submitted on November 2, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Photographed By Craig Swain, September 6, 2009
2. The Garden Marker
Photographed By Craig Swain, September 6, 2009
3. The Garden Marker
The marker is located on the foot path between the house and gardens.
Photographed By Michael C. Wilcox, July 30, 2012
4. The Garden Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 2, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 657 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 26, 2016, by Michael C. Wilcox of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 2, 3. submitted on November 2, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 4. submitted on November 26, 2016, by Michael C. Wilcox of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
