Flowers, Roundabouts, and Vegetables

In chapter 8, Wulf goes into great detail about the effort and time Jefferson put into his gardens.  The efforts that Lewis and Clark put into the excursion is rewarded when you read about all of their great discoveries that Jefferson puts into his gardens. When Jefferson retired to Monticello he had just done unbelievable things for the country.  In his last years in office we was more concerned about designing Monticello.  Wulf writes "The garden that Monticello during his last years of the presidency combined his appreciation for beauty and his love for his country with his scientific and agricultural endeavors- it was a celebration of the United States of America and the future".

The vegetables that Jefferson grew made him the most extraordinary gardener in the United States.  The veggies that he grew came from all over the world.  Things such as Long Pumpkin from Malta, Chinese melon, Spanish melon, Kale from multiple countries and many places and much more.  Jefferson was extremely smart when he designed the terrace of vegetables.  He made sure that the vegetable terrace sat safely above the frost line for when the winter months came.  He was way before his time when it came to his techniques of gardening.  Most Americans were still suck on strictly old-world varieties.

Vegetable garden at Monticello 

As Jefferson grew older, he started to patch up his relationship with Adams.  When speaking of botany Adams said "an old Widower who meets an ancient Widow, who was one of the flames of his youth, now falling in love for the second time".  Adams had been involved in the establishment of gardens at Harvard University.  Adams and Jefferson began to send letters back and forth to each other speaking of not only botany but of religion, politics, old enemies and old friends.  The passion they had for the new developing America and the future that was in store was bright.  Jefferson wrote to Adams in the summer of 1816, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past, so good night. I will dream on."