Martha’s Green Legacy: The Enduring Kitchen Garden of Mount Vernon
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:
June 2, 1731
On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, we celebrate the birth of a most remarkable woman, one whose influence extended far beyond the hallowed halls of the nascent American government.
I speak, of course, of Martha Washington (a treasure trove of literature awaits the curious), the inaugural First Lady of these United States and, more pertinently to our horticultural interests, a most accomplished gardener.
Picture, if you will, the grand estate of Mount Vernon, where Martha reigned supreme over the kitchen garden.
This verdant plot, dear readers, was no mere trifle in the grand scheme of the plantation.
Nay, it was the very heart of the Washington's hospitality, a living larder that has sustained guests and residents alike for over two and a half centuries!
Installed in the year of our Lord 1760, this garden predates even the great revolution that would thrust the Washingtons into the annals of history.
While other areas of Mount Vernon have succumbed to the whims of time and fashion, the kitchen garden – or the lower garden, as it is sometimes known – remains a testament to Martha's horticultural acumen, largely unchanged from her day.
Now, one might imagine that the duties of the President's wife would leave little time for matters of the soil.
Yet, our dear Martha was not one to neglect her green domain, even when affairs of state called her away.
Can you not picture it?
The great George Washington, penning his correspondence, only to have Martha commandeer the final paragraph with instructions for their gardener?
Indeed, Martha's passion for her plants rivaled that of the most devoted among us. She inquired after crops, suggested plantings, and even concerned herself with the collection of seeds.
A true plantswoman, she understood that the kitchen garden was more than a mere source of sustenance – it was a reflection of her role as both George's wife and the nation's First Lady.
And oh, what a bounty that garden must have produced!
For the Washingtons were no strangers to hospitality, hosting an average of 600 guests each year at Mount Vernon. Imagine, if you will, the pressure of providing for such a multitude.
Yet, under Martha's careful stewardship, the kitchen garden rose to the occasion, its produce gracing the tables of dignitaries and common folk alike.
We must not forget William Spence, the loyal gardener who tended Martha's beloved plot.
Such was his dedication that he remained at Mount Vernon even after George Washington's passing, a testament to the bonds forged in the pursuit of horticultural excellence.
Indeed, William's connection to the Washingtons ran so deep that he stood as a witness to Martha's will in the autumn of 1800.
So, dear readers, as we tend our own modest plots, let us draw inspiration from Martha Washington.
May we approach our gardens with the same blend of practical knowledge and passionate dedication that she displayed.
For in nurturing our plants, do we not also cultivate a connection to this remarkable woman and the rich soil of American history?
