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
this page online
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 38° 13.072′ N, 78° 10.077′ W. Marker was in Montpelier Station, Virginia, in Orange County. It could be reached from Montpelier Road, on the right when traveling south. Located on the Montpelier Estate, behind the house on a trail leading to the Annie duPont Formal Garden. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Montpelier Station VA 22957, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in Northern Virginia and in the Piedmont. It was also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within walking distance
Photographed by Craig Swain, September 6, 2009
2. The Garden Marker
Other markers no longer nearby. Homes for Enslaved Families (was about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Backyard (was about 300 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Quarters (was about 400 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Road (was about 500 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Madison Farm Complex (was about 600 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Blacksmith Shop (was about 700 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The African American Cemetery (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has
Photographed by Craig Swain, September 6, 2009
3. The Garden Marker
The marker is located on the foot path between the house and gardens.
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 Michael C. Wilcox, July 30, 2012
4. The Garden Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on April 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 2, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 772 times since then and 15 times this year. Last updated on April 22, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. 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. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
