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In The Yard
By: Lindsey Sutphin
Virginia Cooperative Extension \

-Above is a David Hughes watercolor of the

Monticello Gardens

(This week’s In The Yard column was written by Miss Lindsey Sutphin, a summer intern working in the Halifax County Cooperative Extension Office and a student at Virginia Tech. We hope you enjoy her article.)

Garden Fare in 1776

July 4, 1776 is the most celebrated day in American history. One of the most celebrated parts, and a traditional aspect of the date today, is the Independence Day barbecue. The fare at picnics across the country varies from burgers and corn-on-the-cob to grilled chicken and peach cobbler. However, have you ever wondered what our forefathers ate on that momentous occasion two hundred and thirty-two years ago? While no specific menu exists, and it can be assumed that the men were busy fighting the war, we can piece together what may have been served from studying what was grown in their gardens.
Monticello is a great source of information on the topic of gardens and food, considering that the kitchen gardens still operate on the estate. Thomas Jefferson was an avid and experimental gardener, recording even the most mundane facts in his “Garden Kalendar” (www.monticello.org). As with many of us, Jefferson’s appetite gave strength to his interest in edible fruits and vegetables. He was virtually a vegetarian, saying “I have lived temperately, eating little animal food, and that . . . as a condiment for the vegetables, which constitute my principal diet.” He had lettuce of different varieties planted every two weeks during the growing season to ensure salads on the table at every meal. His favorite veggie, English peas, grew in the gardens of Monticello along with asparagus, squash, broccoli, and twenty types of beans. In Jefferson’s orchard, or the “Fruitery” as it was called, apple and peach trees of different varieties grew alongside French apricots and Spanish almonds.
It is obvious that Thomas Jefferson was an accomplished gardener. However, one has to wonder how he cultivated hundreds of acres of vastly different crops. Pesticides and insecticides that we would not consider forgoing did not even exist during this time. So, how did he grow two-hundred and fifty types of vegetables successfully without the benefits of Miracle Grow? Well, the answer would be simple: manure – lots and lots of manure. In addition to being a fertilizer, manure was spread over the gardens during winter in the hopes that a richer soil would keep the insects off the plants. It is rumored that Jefferson himself would spend hours spreading the smelly stuff. Can you imagine any of the more recent presidents doing the same? Jefferson also relied on Bernard McMahon’s The American Gardener’s Calendar. The book provided directions for everything from the ubiquitous manuring to the best techniques for interplanting lettuce and radishes. A lot of the planting practices for newer vegetables such as cucumbers and tomatoes were experimental, furthering Jefferson’s reputation as a pioneer of American gardening.
As you slap a burger on the grill this Fourth-of-July weekend, think about adding some fresh vegetables or fruit. Even though twenty varieties of beans and fifteen varieties of peas are not necessary for a picnic, a few garden-fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash can add a nice touch to your meal. Besides, what could be more patriotic than eating like the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
(Commercial products are named in this publication for informational purposes only. Virginia Cooperative Extension does not endorse these products and does not intend discrimination against other products which also may be suitable.)