Jefferson’s Useful Plants

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The Revolution Era Garden is shifting into late fall. Mornings are cooler, the light is lower, and the season’s work is shifting from gathering to preparing. Beds are being cleared and improved, cover is going onto the soil, and turnips and collards will soon be planted for the cold months. Alongside that practical work, we are looking ahead and considering what new plants to add in the spring.
Thank you to everyone who has helped in the garden this season. The beds, the harvests, and the soil itself are better for the hands that have been in them. Please keep adding to the compost bin as the fall clean-up continues. Those scraps and trimmings are next year’s usefulness, already underway. Anyone who would like to be involved—whether over the winter or as the new season approaches—is invited to contact Rebecca Suddeth.
Last month’s program honored John Adams and the contentment he found in farm and garden. “The Enjoyment of my Farm and Garden,” he wrote, “would make me as happy as my Nature and State will bear.” Participants checked the beds and painted small floorcloths—washable painted “rugs” common in Revolutionary households, including the Adams home. It was a hands-on hour: garden first, then pigment and cloth, with the last of the beans coming off the vines around us.
This month we turn to Thomas Jefferson, who measured a different kind of garden service. “The greatest service which can be rendered any country,” he wrote, “is to add a useful plant to its culture.” His Garden Book is a long record of that ambition. He tracked sowings, failures, and successes, and he tried plants he hoped would widen what American tables and farms could offer—sesame, salsify, and many others among them. Some took hold. Some did not. The point, for him, was the trial itself: a new plant, carefully kept, might become part of a country’s ordinary usefulness.
That idea sits easily beside the garden in front of us. Enslaved gardeners, Native growers, and experimenting farmers all added plants to the mix of what could be eaten, stored, or grown again. Jefferson’s line is one way of naming that longer work. Our smaller version of it, this October, is soil improved for winter, turnips and collards set for the cold, and a short list of what we might try when the ground warms. Peppers are still coming in, okra is finishing its season, and the sunchokes are still full of sunshine-yellow blooms—useful plants already at home here, holding on as the beds turn toward winter.
No formal program is scheduled for October. Visitors are invited to join us for a Colonial Foods tasting on Saturday, October 17. Families, students, and history lovers are welcome. Come see the garden as it turns, taste foods tied to the season and the period, and look at the beds being readied for what comes next.

Fields of Contentment – Adams’ Garden Wisdom

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We welcome cooler mornings at the Revolution Era Garden at the Transylvania Heritage Museum. The Trail of Tears beans have been harvested and seeds saved, and corn has produced at least two small ears-a vast improvement over last year. Over the coming winter months, we will continue improving the soil, diligently working to better our small plot. The sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem Artichokes, still stand tall, and many of the herbs still produce and hold their fragrance. 

John Adams, second president of the United States, found deep contentment in the land. In a 1777 letter to Abigail, he wrote that health, peace, family, books, “and the enjoyment of my farm and garden, would make me as happy as my nature and State will bear.” At the farm they later named Peacefield, he walked the fields, tended orchards, and treated agriculture as both duty and delight—the independent life made possible by the liberty he had helped win.

While John dreamed of those fields, Abigail managed the household with equal practicality. In letters, she described the oilcloths and painted floorcloths that covered parlor floors in summer heat—washable, durable canvas that protected wood and added pattern when carpets were too heavy or costly. She asked that her own oilcloth be laid down when warm weather arrived. These painted cloths were a common domestic craft, often created by women in households where expensive rugs were not an option. 

This month we honor both sides of the Adams partnership: John’s love of the land and Abigail’s practical care for the home. Join us on Saturday, September 19 at noon as we check on the garden and paint small cloths inspired by the patterns Abigail knew. Families, students, and history enthusiasts are welcome. Please let us know in advance if you are bringing a group so we can prepare materials accordingly.

September reminds us that a well-tended garden and a well-kept home both require patience, observation, and hands willing to work. If you haven’t visited the garden this season, now is a lovely time to do so. If you have hands willing to work in the garden, please reach out to Rebecca at program.transylvaniaheritage@gmail.com  

Madison’s Faculty of Cultivation – Wisdom & Herbal Harvest

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August abundance fills the Revolution Era Garden at the Transylvania Heritage Museum. Trail of Tears beans are producing in the Three Sisters plot, while the corn, though still modest in height, is producing tassels. Sunchokes tower over six feet and will bloom soon; their tubers can be dug and enjoyed all winter long. The Cherokee Medicine Wheel is especially prolific this month, sometimes exceeding its bounds—but that is perfectly all right, as the bees and butterflies delight in it. And of course, the herbs are thriving.

James Madison, fourth president of the United States and lifelong student of the land, treated Montpelier as both a working farm and an outdoor laboratory. He kept detailed weather journals that recorded plantings and harvests, experimented with crop rotations, cover crops such as clover, and manures to restore exhausted soils, and diversified beyond tobacco into grains and other useful plants. Jefferson once called him “the best farmer in the world.” 

In the family gardens, herbs were not confined to a separate bed but interplanted among vegetables; lavender appears most often in the records, sown alongside tansy, sorrel, and hyssop, with peas sometimes planted right next to the lavender rows. Madison valued plants that sustained both body and soil.

In his 1818 address to the Agricultural Society of Albemarle, he observed, “The faculty of cultivating the earth, and of rearing animals, by which food is increased beyond the spontaneous supplies of nature, belongs to man alone.” This insight, drawn from decades of trials at Montpelier, is enriched in our own garden by the “Gathering of Voices”—Cherokee Three Sisters plantings and the inventive provision patches of enslaved Africans. 

This season we have also carefully saved seed from our early peas (a Monticello variety) and from the Cherokee Trail of Tears beans, continuing the tradition of careful observation and sharing that Madison practiced.

Join us on Saturday, August 15 at noon as we harvest herbs and make herbed butter to taste and take home. Families, students, and history enthusiasts are welcome. Please let us know in advance if you are bringing a group so we can prepare materials accordingly.

August reminds us that the same thoughtful cultivation Madison celebrated—of soil, of plants, and of knowledge passed across cultures—still yields abundance. If you have not yet visited the garden this season, now is a perfect time to stop by, enjoy the late-summer fullness, and share in the harvest.

 

Jefferson’s Ingenious Words – Penmanship & Garden Wisdom

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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.
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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.
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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.

Seeds Across Oceans – Washington’s Noble Stewardship

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June’s warmth and longer days are bringing the Revolutionary Era Garden at the Transylvania Heritage Museum into growth. Last month, we planted Beans and Squash in the Three Sisters mound, and they are growing nicely. The Provision Garden’s onions are bulking up nicely, the peas are producing sweet pods, and the lettuce, kale, and cabbage planted in April are ready for harvest. Our dedicated volunteers continue to keep everything watered and tended through the busy early-summer weeks.

In preparation for our June program, we are getting ready to plant Okra — a crop with deep roots in American history. According to a powerful story passed down through generations, enslaved African women braided okra seeds into their hair before the brutal Middle Passage. This quiet act of courage and hope allowed them to carry a vital piece of home and survival across the ocean. Once in America, these same seeds were planted in small provision garden plots, sustaining families and preserving cultural knowledge. Okra quickly became an important part of the Provision Garden and Southern foodways.

George Washington, our nation’s first president and a lifelong student of the land, declared, “It will not be doubted that with reference either to individual or national welfare, agriculture is of primary importance, most healthful, most useful, and most noble employment of man.” He collected seeds and plants from all places and carefully experimented with them at Mount Vernon. There, he practiced soil conservation, developed innovative farming methods, and maintained detailed records, always seeking to improve both yield and stewardship of the earth. His spirit of observation and improvement continues to inspire us today.

This June, we honor that legacy by planting Okra together and remembering the contributions of enslaved Africans who brought both seeds and agricultural expertise that helped shape early American gardens and tables.

Join us for the June Garden Program on Saturday, June 20th, as we plant Okra, share stories of its journey from Africa to America, and explore George Washington’s innovative practices at Mount Vernon. Expect hands-on gardening, engaging discussion, and a welcoming session for all ages. Please let us know in advance if you’re bringing a group so we can prepare accordingly.

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

Tending the Harvest of Thought – Jefferson’s Delightful Culture

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May’s warmer days and lengthening light bring new energy to the Revolutionary Era Garden at the Transylvania Heritage Museum. Many of our perennials have returned from last year, with the Cherokee Medicine Wheel plantings in the center making the strongest impression. The Provision Garden boasts a nice stand of onions, and the peas are beginning to climb their simple trellis. Last month’s plantings of lettuce, kale, and cabbage are thriving, thanks to the dedicated volunteers who kept them watered through these dry weeks.

In preparation for our May program, we have built the mound for the Three Sisters and planted Cherokee White Eagle Corn—the first variety deposited in the Cherokee Nation Seed Bank. This beautiful blue-and-white corn with a striking red cob features kernels that many people see as the image of a white eagle.

Thomas Jefferson once remarked: “No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden.” An avid collector and experimenter with Native American crops, he sought seeds and varieties from indigenous communities across the continent. Jefferson also embraced companion planting and intercropping practices common in those traditions. His records reveal a holistic, observational approach that prized crop associations, rotation, and regenerative methods.
This philosophy harmonizes beautifully with the ancient Native American Three Sisters method.

In this companion planting system, tall corn provides a trellis for beans, which fix nitrogen to nourish the soil. Squash spreads below, shading weeds and retaining moisture. Together, the three create a resilient, self-sustaining ecosystem—much like the collaboration of Indigenous knowledge and European traditions that shaped early American agriculture.

Join Vanessa Cole on May 16th at noon to learn more about Jefferson’s gardening methods and the genius of the Three Sisters. Hear fascinating stories, sing some songs, and enjoy an interactive session for all ages. Please let us know in advance if you’re bringing a group so we can prepare accordingly.

May reminds us that growth, partnership, and abundance flourish when different elements work together in harmony, and that thoughtful cultivation yields more than crops. If you haven’t visited our garden yet, May is the perfect time to do so!

Where do you go to cultivate your thoughts?

Blossoms of Virtue – Franklin’s Humble Labor

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April showers are hoped to nourish the Revolution Era Garden at the Transylvania Heritage Museum-it has been a dry spring so far- where several perennials have returned in the Cherokee Medicine Wheel and the Colonial plots, while onions and peas are already peeking up in the Enslaved African’s Provision Garden.
Benjamin Franklin quipped in Poor Richard’s Almanac, “A Plowman on his legs is higher than a Gentleman on his knees.” This 1746 proverb elevates the farmer’s honest toil over idle nobility—a Revolutionary jab at aristocracy. It honors the importance of work and how garden labor teaches patience, responsibility, resilience, delayed gratification, and the deep satisfaction of turning effort into food and abundance. Through such labor, the worker stands upright in purpose and moral superiority.
The Museum will open on April 11 with our new exhibit, From Battlefields to Backwoods – Soldiers Shaping Appalachia. This display explores how Revolutionary War veterans carried the spirit of liberty from the battlefields into the rugged Appalachian frontier that would one day become Transylvania County. Through artifacts, stories, and hands-on experiences—including ties to our Revolution Era Garden—visitors can discover how these soldiers became pioneers, applying the same virtues of hard work and self-reliance to shape the mountain communities we call home today. Enjoy a stroll amid the garden and channel Franklin’s wit: true height comes from honest sweat, shared across cultures.
This month, we continue early sowing in the Enslaved African Provision Garden. Enslaved people were often allowed small plots—known as house yards or allocated grounds—to grow their own food. These gardens supplemented meager rations, preserved African culinary and medicinal traditions, enabled the sale or barter of surplus produce for small freedoms, and gave families rare moments of autonomy and hope amid oppression. The very act of tending these plots became a quiet form of resistance and dignity. Cabbage, onions, peas, and other hearty vegetables were common plantings in these provision gardens. Cabbage was a sturdy, nutritious cool-season crop that stored well through winter. Leafy greens and other vegetables added essential flavor, nutrition, and cultural continuity to daily meals. These plots provided supplemental food, preserved traditions, and offered limited agency—embodying the idea that through their own labor, even under severe constraints, enslaved gardeners stood “higher” in self-reliance.
April’s Garden Program—Dignity in Labor Through Garden Work—is scheduled for April 18 at noon. The presenter, Laura Sperry, will discuss Franklin’s quote with participants and explore the Revolutionary-era idea that humble, productive labor builds personal dignity, self-sufficiency, and moral virtue far more than privilege or idleness does.  We will check progress in the Enslaved African Provision Garden and do some general garden maintenance, so come prepared to work! All ages welcome! Please let us know if you are bringing a group so we can prepare accordingly.
April brings growth and the satisfaction of progress in the garden. As green shoots rise and new plantings take root, let Franklin inspire us: in the garden, diligent work “blossoms” into virtue, self-reliance, and community. 
What steps are you taking this month to connect with the land through honest labor? Share below!

Awakening the Soil – Adams’ Timely Pursuit

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March’s winds awaken the Revolution Era Garden at the Transylvania Heritage Museum, sweeping away the last traces of winter and stirring the soil into readiness for the season ahead. John Adams captured this restless pull toward the earth in a letter to Abigail from Philadelphia, weary of congressional gridlock: “I begin now to think all time lost that is not employed in farming.”

Adams saw agriculture as far more than mere survival—it was a restorative rhythm amid political storms, a virtuous expression of independence. The liberty he helped secure made possible this self-reliant life: tilling one’s own soil, free from tyranny or dependence.

This month, we honor that legacy with an update on our soil improvements and composting efforts, building the fertile foundation that Revolutionary-era gardeners relied upon through careful enrichment and organic matter. No rototillers here—we continue using hand tools to gently aerate and amend the beds, preserving microbial life in the sustainable ways practiced in colonial times.

Join us on March 21 at noon for our hands-on garden program.  We’ll review progress on soil enrichment, check our compost, and do some general garden sprucing up. If conditions and time allow, we may direct sow early peas and onions to embrace the lengthening days. Peas and onions were among the earliest crops sown in colonial gardens—hardy enough for March planting in many regions, they fixed nitrogen (in the case of peas) or provided essential flavor and storage value (onions), sustaining families through practical connection to the land.

All ages welcome! Please let us know if you are bringing a group so we can prepare accordingly.

March draws us forward with longer light and the first true signs of growth. As green hints appear, let Adams inspire: fulfillment often lies not in distant debates, but in the tangible work of nurturing the soil. What steps are you taking this month to awaken your own patch of earth and connect with its history? Share below!

February: Sowing Seeds of Independence – Jefferson’s Garden Ethos

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February’s chill lingers in the Revolution Era Garden at the Transylvania Heritage Museum, but beneath the scatterings of snow and leaf mulch, parsley, thyme, yarrow, and oregano peek through or show tiny new sprouts. Thomas Jefferson reminds us, “Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country.” Penned amid his Monticello experiments, this quote captures how gardening fostered self-reliance during the Revolution.

At Monticello, Jefferson used hotbeds to provide steady warmth and beat late frosts—a clever colonial method echoed in Washington’s Mount Vernon diaries. These early starts, often met with trial and error, built resilience. Without the resources of hotbeds or cold frames, Museum volunteers start seeds indoors in preparation for spring planting as we continue to work on soil improvements.

The Museum remains closed as we prepare for From Battlefields to Backwoods: Soldiers Shaping Appalachia, but the garden and educational cards are available for visitors, and our first hands-on garden program for 2026 begins at 12 pm on Saturday, February 21. We’ll review our soil enrichment progress and, if the ground is soft enough, dig in some compost. If not, we will discuss indoor seed-starting guidance for spring plantings. All ages welcome! Dress for the weather; gloves and small trowels provided. Everyone leaves with a Calendula seed packet.

Also known as pot marigold, Calendula arrived in the American colonies with early settlers before 1670 and became a staple in colonial gardens. Thomas Jefferson grew it at Monticello (noted from his boyhood plantings at Shadwell) as early as 1767. Valued for both culinary coloring (in butter, cheese, soups, and stews) and medicinal properties (skin-healing, antiseptic, and heart-supporting), it tied everyday gardeners to the land’s practical bounty.

Plant a windowsill pot of calendula and feel that virtuous tie to the soil. As sprouts emerge, let Jefferson inspire: Independence blooms from the earth.

Please share this blog and our February 21st Garden program with your family, gardening friends, or anyone looking for free, hands-on history activities for 2026. Groups are welcome—just let us know when and how many are coming so we can be prepared. All our programs are free, and we have several fun, interactive programs for mixed-age groups that can be scheduled upon request.

February draws us forward with the promise of longer days and new growth. What small steps of preparation are you taking this month to connect with the land and its history? Share below!

Until next time!

Rebecca

Embracing Winter’s Rest – Soil’s Quiet Renewal

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As the new year unfolds beneath a crisp blanket of frost, the Transylvania Heritage Museum’s Revolution Era Garden stands as a living tribute to the resilience and ingenuity of its caretakers—Cherokee, enslaved Africans, and colonial settlers. The garden’s layout honors these traditions: Cherokee beds highlight crops and practices they cultivated and shared, provision plots recall the resourcefulness of enslaved Africans, and colonial beds reflect the experiments and adaptations of settlers. In winter, the garden rests, echoing the deliberate pause that Founding Fathers like George Washington cherished—a time for reflection and renewal. Winter is a season of preparation. Washington’s farm journals from Mount Vernon detail soil amendment and tool repair, tasks essential for survival. Enslaved laborers and Native communities used these months to mend, plan, and protect overwintering crops, ensuring the land would be ready for spring’s demands. The garden’s thick leaf mulch and pruned herbs mirror these historic practices, connecting today’s volunteers to centuries of agricultural wisdom.

Although we considered planting additional crops to overwinter, we decided to focus on enriching our garden soil instead. The compost bin, with Wendy’s oversight, is doing nicely. Please continue to bring your compostable items throughout this month. All you have to do is add them to the bin—Wendy will take care of turning. With that said, there are still several plants—parsley, thyme, sage, and rosemary—overwintering, and even now, yarrow and oregano are sprouting tiny leaves beneath the leaf mulch.

Winter’s quiet calls us to ponder: In an era of relentless speed, what unhurried gifts does the land bestow? What timeless lessons of wisdom does the soil impart? The traditions of the Cherokee, the self-reliant provision plots of the enslaved, and the colonial experiments all laid the groundwork for Revolutionary resolve. Washington’s steady plow reminds us that farming anchored the fight for freedom.

As spring approaches, let us remember: the soil’s renewal is a revolutionary act. Would you like to help with the garden? Or would you like to bring a group for a hands-on history experience? We have several educational programs for mixed-age groups. Put your hands in the earth and continue a legacy of resilience and unity!

Do you have any winter garden activities you enjoy? If so, share below!

Until next time!

Rebecca