"I am savage enough to prefer the woods, the wilds, and the independence of Monticello, to all the brilliant pleasures of this gay capital [Paris] . . . . for tho' there is less wealth there, there is more freedom, more ease, and less misery." - Thomas Jefferson (to Baron Geismar), 1785The front of the house at Monticello (top right of the collage, below) looks a lot like the back of the house. The major differences are the drive in the front and the brick path in the back that winds around the West Lawn, a huge expanse of green.
The "winding flower border" that encircles the West Lawn is filled with a variety of exotic-looking flowers, with a host of trees waiting on the periphery. The entire flower garden behind the house was inspired by the English gardens Jefferson visited in the late 1700s - informal, open and balanced with the natural landscape. Between the narrow flower beds on both sides of the winding walk and the oval flower beds directly behind the house, Jefferson had what he described as "abundant room for a great variety" of flowers - over 100 species according to his Garden Book.
What we see in this garden today is thanks to the work of those who restored, as well as those who now preserve, the gardens. They have remained as true as possible to not only Jefferson's original garden plan, but also the flowers and plants that he was known to have grown therein. I cannot begin to do justice to this part of the tour - our guide (pictured in the bottom right of the above collage) had a wealth of information on Jefferson and she thoroughly enjoyed discussing all aspects of the gardens with the tour members.
"...There is not a sprig of grass that shoots uninteresting to me..." -Thomas Jefferson (to Martha Jefferson Randolph), 1790The part of the tour I had most looked forward to was of Jefferson's "revolutionary garden," which is about two acres of a great variety of fruit and vegetables. I had only recently discovered that Thomas Jefferson was not afraid of a little experimenting when it came to horticulture (the adventurous landscaping has already been noted for the flower garden, but it is found here, as well).
The recreation of this garden has, of course, varied somewhat from the original. However, according to Monticello,org, the garden is still maintained with organic fertilizers, natural pesticides, branches used for staking growing vegetables and a fair amount of composting. As impressed as I am with Jefferson's plant experiments and near-vegetarian lifestyle, I am amazed that this part of Monticello is kept intact and treated with the same care that I imagine it was given in Jefferson's time.
This is not meant to downplay the use of slavery in its 19th century maintenance, but Jefferson's views on that were quite paradoxical and I haven't done enough research to speak to it. That said, and regardless of taking things in the context of the times, it is no less disturbing that the man who drafted the Declaration of Independence owned people and that this declaration did not extend to a large part of the population (slaves, indentured servants, and women, for example). If you are interested in learning more about this aspect of Jefferson and Monticello, the Smithsonian has an online tour about Liberty & Slavery. And Monticello is rebuilding Mulberry Row, which was the hub of that plantation, and home to free people and slaves alike.
Once the garden tour wrapped up, we were allowed to either head back to the Visitor's Center, or take a walk down to the Monticello Graveyard. Of course, we chose the latter.
Before we go on - a quick note from Seth: "It is worth mentioning that it took Jefferson a little over forty years to complete Monticello and that the resulting exorbitant cost of the project left him deeply in debt. Our house tour guide made a point of telling us this and one of Jefferson's most famous quotations, 'Never spend your money before you have it.' In fact, he was incredibly proud of the fact that he had significantly reduced the national debt while President. Unfortunately, he was unable to adhere to this ideal when it came to his own finances and his family had to sell Monticello after his death." To learn more about the factors that contributed to Jefferson's lifelong struggle with debt, see the Research & Collections section of Monticello.org.
The original part of the Monticello Graveyard is reserved for direct descendants of Thomas Jefferson and his wife, Martha, and those descendants' spouses. I believe the descendants of Dabney Carr (Jefferson's boyhood friend, then brother-in-law) are included in this, but there seems to be conflicting information. In any case, the most recent burials in this graveyard go up to the late 1990s.
Thomas Jefferson was quite particular about a lot of things. He may have appeared more relaxed because his flower garden looked a bit wild, but every placement of flower or herb was carefully planned. He was no less clear about the epitaph to be written on his gravestone - in particular, which of his accomplishments he wanted to be remembered for. Jefferson supplied not only the words ("...and not a word more..."), but a sketch of the obelisk they were to be carved on.
We know Thomas Jefferson as a former Governor of Virginia during the Revolutionary War; as a member of the second Continental Congress (when he wrote the Declaration of Independence); the first Secretary of State (under George Washington); Vice President under John Adams (through a flaw in the Constitution that he eventually amended); and the third president of the United States, during which time he sent Lewis & Clark on their famous expedition, and then negotiated the Louisiana Purchase with Napoleon.
While Jefferson did not stop slavery in the United States, it is important to note that he did end the importation of slaves from outside the U.S. during his presidency.
However, in the end, Thomas Jefferson wanted to be remembered for only three things: authoring the Declaration of Independence, authoring the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and creating the University of Virginia.
"I am as happy no where else and in no other society, and all my wishes end, where I hope my days will end, at Monticello. Too many scenes of happiness mingle themselves with all the recollections of my native woods and fields, to suffer them to be supplanted in my affection by any other." - Thomas Jefferson (to George Gilmer), 1787