Using a rich assortment of illustrations and biographical sketches,
Peter Martin relates the experiences of colonial gardeners who shaped
the natural beauty of Virginia's wilderness into varied displays of
elegance. He shows that ornamental gardening was a scientific,
aesthetic, and cultural enterprise that thoroughly engaged some of the
leading figures of the period, including the British governors at
Williamsburg and the great plantation owners George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, William Byrd, and John Custis. In presenting accounts of
their gardening efforts, Martin reveals the intricacies of colonial
garden design, plant searches, experimentation, and the problems in
adapting European landscaping ideas to local climate. These writings
also bring to life the social and commercial interaction between
Williamsburg and the plantations, together with early American ideas
about cultured living. While placing Virginia's gardening in the larger
context of the colonial South, Martin tells a very human story of how
this art both influenced and reflected the quality of colonial life. As
Virginia grew economically and culturally, the garden became a
projection of the gardener's personal identity, as exemplified by the
endeavors of Washington and Jefferson at Mount Vernon and Monticello. In
order to recapture the gardens as they existed in colonial times, Martin
brings together paintings, drawings, and the findings of modern
archaeological excavations.
Originally published in 1991.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand
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scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by
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