When I was a little girl, I spent a lot of my “vacation time” with my cousins in Virginia. Some of my fondest memories are of the adventures I had in their home and around their hometown (Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC). I have distinct memories about walks along the Potomac during cherry blossom season, climbing on the man in The Awakening, going to visit Abe one evening in my pajamas (his is my favorite memorial.)
The Awakening, J. Seward Johnson, Jr.
But my all-time favorite DC excursion was to Mount Vernon. I remember touring the smokehouse and admiring the cutting gardens and feeling enraptured by all footpaths and that white paint. It was what I imagine all American castles should be (none of this gaudy Vanderbilt-Newport “Summer Home” nonsense). And then we came around the house onto the front lawn that rolled all the way down to the Potomac and I was overwhelmed by the beauty and majesty of that spot. Forget Barbie and Mtv, I wanted to spend the rest of my life playing on that lawn.
Today I was excited to find this article featuring a few photos of G.W.’s gardener’s cottage. It’s one of the last buildings they’ve restored on the property, and I can’t help but be confused by that. The gardens were one of Mount Vernon’s life centers–from foodstuffs to R&R, the Mount Vernon gardens sustained the entire G.W. “clan.” The whole thing seems backwards to me… and not a wee bit disrespectful. Why not make it one of the first places to restore? The gardens at Mount Vernon are one of the biggest draws and points of pride on the property (aside from the fact that it’s our founding father’s homestead)! …At least it’s finally been handled. I’m looking forward to a trip East (someday) to see it and pay my respects to the gardener(s).
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