Jefferson’s Ingenious Words – Penmanship & Garden Wisdom

The Revolutionary Era Garden at the Transylvania Heritage Museum is holding up well in the heat of July, thanks to our volunteers who keep it watered during dry spells. Last month, we harvested some onions from the Provisional Garden to make room for okra, and the plants are already growing. The Three Sisters mounds are doing well, a stark improvement over last year’s efforts, thanks to the soil improvements, something we will continue. Summer herbs and heat-tolerant plants are thriving-the lavender is in full bloom!

Thomas Jefferson, principal author of the Declaration of Independence and our nation’s third president, was a lifelong gardener. At Monticello, he created a terraced vegetable garden where he grew and tested varieties of vegetables, herbs, and fruits. Jefferson practiced innovative techniques, including crop rotations, cover crops, manuring to restore soil, and contour planting, to reduce erosion on his sloping land. He imported seeds and plants from around the world, seeking those best suited to American conditions and testing them at his family’s table.

​

Thomas Jefferson was not only a masterful gardener but also a prolific writer who kept flocks of geese at Monticello specifically to supply feathers for his quills. Join Vanessa Cole on Saturday, July 18th, for the July Program—Quill Pens & Penmanship. We’ll discuss how pens and paper spread revolutionary ideas and try our hands at writing with a quill pen!  Families, students, and history enthusiasts are welcome. Please let us know in advance if you’re bringing a group so we can prepare materials accordingly.

​

July reminds us that growth often comes from seeds of curiosity and knowledge passed down through generations, and that thoughtful cultivation—of both land and ideas—yields far more than a single harvest. If you haven’t visited the garden yet this season, July is a beautiful, abundant time to stop by and watch it flourish.