Mount Vernon’s Green-Thumbed Guardians: The MVLA Story

June 2, 1874

On this day, dear gardening enthusiasts, we find ourselves transported to a moment of great significance in the preservation of America's horticultural heritage.

It was on this very date that Ann Pamela Cunningham, the indomitable founder of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association (MVLA), delivered her farewell address.

Now, one might wonder, what connection does this grand lady have to our beloved pursuit of gardening?

Allow me to enlighten you, dear readers.

The MVLA, founded in 1853, was a group of determined women who, in a mere five years, accomplished what many thought impossible.

They purchased Mount Vernon from the George Washington family in 1858, rescuing this eighteenth-century plantation home from the clutches of development or, heaven forbid, destruction.

Imagine, if you will, the state of this once-glorious estate. With the encouragement of eager tourists, these ladies set about restoring both the home and its grounds to their former splendor. It was a task as monumental as cultivating a garden in the most unforgiving of soils.

In her farewell address, Ann spoke with the passion of a gardener protecting her most prized roses:

Ladies, the home of Washington is in your charge see to it that you keep It the home of Washington!

Let no irreverent hand change it; let no vandal hands desecrate it with the fingers of "progress"!

Let one spot, in this grand country of ours, be saved from change. Upon you rests this duty.

I am delighted to report that Ann's sage advice was heeded with the utmost care. Washington's home stands today in impeccable condition, its outbuildings and grounds a testament to the MVLA's dedication.

Even the greenhouse, which succumbed to a fiery fate in 1835, rose from its ashes like a phoenix, fully restored in 1952.

But the MVLA's efforts extended far beyond the immediate grounds. In a move that would make any landscape architect swoon, they acquired nearly 500 acres across the Potomac River, preserving Washington's cherished view.

This visionary act, orchestrated by Mrs. Frances Payne Bolton, laid the groundwork for one of the country's earliest land trusts.

Now, let us turn our attention to the man himself, George Washington, and his horticultural aspirations.

Like many of us, he dreamed of fine landscapes and beautiful gardens.

In 1762, he hired his first gardener, and a decade later, he advertised for "a good Kitchen Gardener," a sentiment I'm sure many of us can appreciate.

Inspired by the greenhouse of Margaret Tilghman Carroll at Mount Clare near Baltimore, Washington added one to his own estate.

In a delightful display of gardeners' camaraderie, Margaret sent not only the plans but also some plants to help the Washingtons christen their new greenhouse.

By 1799, Mount Vernon had blossomed into a horticultural paradise.

One fortunate guest wrote,

There I saw ...English grapes, oranges, limes, and lemons... as well as a great variety of plants and flowers... exquisite in their perfume and delightful to the eye...

As we tend to our own gardens today, let us remember the legacy of Ann Pamela Cunningham and the MVLA.

They remind us that preserving our horticultural heritage is not just about maintaining plants, but about cultivating a living connection to our past.