Saturdays in the Garden Calendar

Jul. 10, 2010

Natural History of Trees
Trees perhaps occupied first place in Thomas Jefferson's hierarchy of favorite garden plants. This two-hour walking tour explores the natural history of Monticello's exotic and native trees. Learn to identify about fifty species through an understanding of their ornamental, cultural, and historical character. Peter Hatch will lead this relaxed morning ramble through a typical central Virginia hardwood forest. Reservations required. Meets at the Garden Center Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center, 9:30 a.m. Reservations required; $10

Jul. 17, 2010

Natural Dyes Workshop
Until the late 19th century, dyes that colored cloth came primarily from plants. Join Pat Brodowski for this two-hour workshop to learn how the palette of European dye colors such as madder and indigo expanded with the discovery of dyes from North and South American flora such as goldenrod and black walnut. Use available dye pots to create a booklet of samples. Meets at the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center, 9:30 a.m. Reservations required. $10

Jul. 24, 2010

Herbaceous Plant Propagation
Propagating ornamental flowers from seeds, cuttings, or divisions is one of the most gratifying of the horticultural arts. Brian Hartsock will lead this two-hour workshop at the propagating facilities at Tufton Farm. He’ll discuss the principles of seed sowing—timing, stratification, and soil mediums—and review the fundamentals of asexual propagation. Bring pruning shears and gloves. Reservations required. At Tufton Farm, 9:30 a.m. $10.

Jul. 31, 2010

Winemaking Workshop
Join the incomparable Gabriele Rausse, the Father of the Virginia wine industry, for this fun two-hour session on wine production. “No nation is drunken when wine is cheap,” said Thomas Jefferson, who apparently failed to make a Monticello-grown vintage despite years of experimental vine plantings. Learn how to make your own—from harvest through fermentation to bottling—in this participatory workshop. 9:30 a.m., Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center. Reservations required; $10.

Aug. 7, 2010

Tomato Tasting
Heirloom tomatoes are now at the height of fashion, and one can only marvel at the genetic diversity found in everyone's favorite homegrown vegetable. Tomatoes are finally being esteemed, first and foremost, for their flavor, and this participatory workshop will examine and rate a sample of varieties now available to gardeners. Maggie Stemann Thompson and Pat Brodowski, Monticello’s Vegetable Gardener, will host this two-hour workshop.Participants are encouraged to bring in their own favorite garden varieties. Reservations required. Meets at the Garden Center, Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center, 9:30 a.m. $10.

See the results of previous Tomato Tastings.

Aug. 14, 2010

Summer Fruit Tasting
Enjoy the harvests of summer, what Thomas Jefferson referred to as "precious refreshment." On site in the Monticello Fruit Garden, Tom Burford, Peter Hatch, Gabriele Rausse, and Fruit Gardener Kerry Gilmer will entertain participants with the fruits of summer: early apples, peaches, figs, grapes, nectarines, apple cider, blackberries, pears, and others. Short talks on the history of fruit growing in Virginia will vary the menu in this informal two-hour feast in Jefferson's Fruitery. Reservations required. Meets at the Garden Center, Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center, 9:30 a.m. $10.

Aug. 21, 2010

Creating an Herbal Potpourri
CHP Nursery Manager Dennis Whetzel will demonstrate an 18th-century recipe for making potpourri from old garden roses, fragrant heirloom flowers and herbs, and exotic spices. This two-and-a-half-hour workshop will include a discussion on the use of essential oils and fixatives for long-lasting fragrance. Meets at CHP's Tufton Farm Nursery, 9:30 a.m. $10.

Aug. 28, 2010

Tour of the Visitor Center Landscape
The landscaping of Monticello’s new visitor complex, recipient of a LEED Gold Level certification, is designed to blend the buildings into the native Monticello woodlands with plantings of North American native species and cultivars, including 40 species of trees, over 50 species of flowering shrubs, and 75 types of wildflowers and groundcovers. Join Peggy Cornett and Peter Hatch for a two-hour stroll through these rich habitats from the pavilions’ green roofs through the rain-garden style greenway to the African-American Cemetery. Reservations required. Meets at the Garden Center, Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center, 9:30 a.m. $10.

Sep. 10, 2010

Dinner and Evening with Rosalind Creasy at Monticello
Rosalind Creasy, the pioneering author of The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping and Rosalind Creasy’s Recipes from the Garden will share her vast knowledge of cooking and gardening during a discussion of new ideas in preparing seasonal fruits and vegetables. Following the discussion, enjoy a specially prepared dinner including fresh, locally grown ingredients. $50.00. Friday, September 10, 6:30pm, at the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center Theater. Reserved tickets are required and can be purchased online or by calling 434-984-9880.

Sep. 10, 2010

Historic Plants Symposium
The 7th biennial symposium, entitled "Come to Table—Historic Plants in the Kitchen," will focus on the garden’s harvest in early American recipes from a regional perspective. Speakers include New England food historian Sandy Oliver, heirloom vegetable collector and author William Woys Weaver, and John Martin “Hoppin’ John” Taylor, author and expert on Charleston foodways and Lowcountry cuisine, along with Monticello’s Leni Sorensen on African-American cooking and Peter Hatch with a look at Thomas Jefferson’s vegetable garden and kitchen. Registration required. Meets at CHP's Tufton Farm barn.

See the flyer (pdf) for more information »

Sep. 11, 2010

Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello
Co-sponsored with the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, the fourth annual Heritage Harvest Festival will be held on the grounds of Monticello. The festival is a family-oriented, educational event that highlights organic gardening; the preservation of traditional agriculture and regional food; and includes tastings, informative workshops, and talks by authorities such as William Woys Weaver, Tom Burford, Barbara Pleasants, Barbara Melera, and Jeanine Davis. New speakers this year include George DeVault with the Seed Savers Exchange in Iowa, and

Sharon Astyk, author of the Jefferson inspired, A Nation of Farmers.

For more information visit heritageharvestfestival.com.

Heritage Harvest Festival Premium Workshops

Virginia Cider Making with Tom Burford
9 a.m., Garden tent

Hens in the Hood and Broilers in the Backyard: Practical Advice for Raising Chickens for Eggs and Meat with Guinevere Higgins and Leni Sorensen
10 a.m., Mountain Tent

Mushroom Cultivation with Mark Jones
10 a.m., Garden Tent

Seed Savers Exchange – 35 Years of Saving Our Garden Heritage with Aaron Whaley
10 a.m., Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center

"Thomas Jefferson and Natural History" Woodland Walk with Peggy Cornett
10 a.m., Fish Pond

Seed Saver’s Monticello Vegetable Garden Tour with Pat Brodowski
11:30 a.m., Fish Pond

Mainstreaming Heirloom Vegetables: Why They are Important for the Environment and for Good Nutrition with William Woys Weaver
11:30 a.m., Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center

Sustainable Urban Gardening with Patti Moreno, the Garden Girl
11:30 a.m., Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center

Heirloom Vegetables with William Woys Weaver
11:30 a.m., Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center

Vegetable Gardening: First-Season Success, Yes! with Barbara Pleasant
1:30 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center

Medicine Making 101 with Kathleen Maier
1:30 pm, Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center

Seed Saver's Monticello Flower Garden Tour with Debbie Donley
1:30 p.m., Fish Pond

Hands-On How to Propagate Your Own Woodland Botanicals with Dr. Jeanine Davis
3 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center

Wine/Vinegar Making with Gabriele Rausse
3 p.m., Garden Tent

Learn more about the Festival's Free and Premium Workshops »

Sep. 18, 2010

Montalto Trek
Join Peter Hatch for a strenuous, 1,000-foot vertical hike up Montalto, Jefferson’s “high mountain.” Walk through a mature forest then break onto cleared pastureland with unobstructed views of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and, of course, Monticello. A two-and-a-half-hour trek for the fittest. Reservations required. Meets at the Thomas Jefferson Parkway Lower Trailhead, 9:30 a.m. $10.

Sep. 18, 2010

Wine Festival at Monticello

Join us for an unforgettable evening of fine wine and live music. Sample the region’s best wines on Monticello's beautiful West Lawn while enjoying the rare opportunity to stroll around the gardens after hours and learn about Jefferson’s passion for wine and his recently restored wine cellar. Local wine experts will be on hand to answer questions about our region’s finest wines and how they compare to the vintages that Jefferson enjoyed.

Reserved tables for 8 or more are available and include a gourmet cheese board, 3 bottles of house wine and a special tour of Jefferson’s wine cellar. Please call Kathy Del Rosso at 434-984-9826 to purchase a reserved table.

Gourmet bread and cheese boxes available for advance purchase only; $30 (serves two).

There are a limited number of tickets available and all tickets are advance purchase only. Buy your tickets on line or by calling the reservations office at (434) 984-9881.

Ticket price is $45 through August 18th and $55 after August 18th. Ticket price includes general admission, a walk-through house tour, commemorative tasting glass, wine tastings, and parking. Early purchase is recommended to guarantee availability. No group discounts.

Sep. 25, 2010

Seed Saving Workshop
The historic tradition of seed saving in America provides a meaningful model for modern gardeners eager to get the most from their gardens. Many special (and more common) garden plants are unavailable from commercial sources and need to be preserved from year to year. Learn the dynamics of seed production—pollination, timing, seed identification, cleaning, and storing—then visit the gardens for a hands-on collecting demonstration. Debbie Donley, Monticello’s Flower Gardener, and Pat Brodowski, Monticello’s Vegetable Gardener, will lead this two-and-a-half-hour workshop. Meets at the Garden Center, Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center, 9:30 a.m. $10

Oct. 2, 2010

Tufton Fern Walk
Ferns will be the excuse for this ramble along Henderson Creek in the forests of Tufton Farm. Peggy Cornett and Peter Hatch will lead this two-hour cross-country walk through a uniquely pristine, relatively undisturbed, and isolated natural woodland, pointing out the native plants as they go. There is no trail on substantial sections of this two-mile hike, so wear appropriate hiking shoes and be prepared for briar scratches, spider webs, and uneven terrain. Reservations required. Meets at CHP's Tufton Farm barn, 9:30 a.m. $10

Oct. 9, 2010

Thomas Jefferson and Natural History Walk
Thomas Jefferson's passion for gardening arose from his truly wide-eyed curiosity about natural history and the “tranquil pursuits” of science. Peggy Cornett, Curator of Plants at Monticello, will lead this two-hour trek through the forests of Monticello. Participants will examine autumn wildflowers, seedpods and nuts, trees, mammals, birds, the skies, fungi, insects, and geology with the historical perspective of the sage of Monticello ever in mind. Please wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for muddy slopes and uneven terrain. Reservations required. Meets at the Garden Center, Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center, 9:30 a.m. $10

Oct. 16, 2010

Apple Tasting
This annual event, truly a unique opportunity to explore the essence of the apple, has been among our most popular programs. Tom Burford will provide numerous apple varieties, each introduced with a discussion of their history and culture. Participants will taste, savor, and, most importantly, rate each apple in this 2-hour program. Reservations required. Meets at 9:30 a.m. at the Tufton Farm nursery. $10

See the results of the latest Apple Tasting.

Oct. 30, 2010

Cooking Unusual Vegetables
Visitors to Monticello’s Kitchen Garden are unfailingly curious about how to prepare many of the odd and rare vegetables found there. Gabriele Rausse is a chef revered by his colleagues and friends for his ability to simply transform ordinary and unusual garden produce into delicious meals. During this two-and-a-half-hour session, he will introduce participants to surprising curiosities like sea kale, cardoon, and Caracalla bean flowers; as well as underappreciated gourmet vegetables such as endive, Florence fennel, fava beans, and crowder peas. Meets at the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center, 9:30 a.m. $10.

Nov. 13, 2010

Vinegar Making Workshop
Vinegar was an integral ingredient in various Jefferson-family recipes, and there’s more to vinegar, translated literally as “sour wine,” than salad dressing. Most people are unaware of the rich traditions of using vinegar in cooking, as a food preservative, and even as a wholesome beverage. As well, making vinegar at home is quite simple. Join wine-maker and master chef Gabriele Rausse in reviewing the basic principles of vinegar-making, and then learn how to use it in preparing vegetables and meat and in concocting delicious aromatized dressings. This workshop is two hours long. Meets at Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center, 9:30 a.m. $10.

Dec. 2, 2010

Holiday Wreath Workshop
These ever-popular workshops, in their 24th year, produce a gratifying and tangible end-product: a beautiful holiday wreath. Janet Miller, Lou Hatch, and Maggie Stemann Thompson will lead participants through the process in these three-hour workshops. All materials (straw wreath forms, pins, wire, etc.) will be provided, including a cornucopia of natural materials. Bring hand pruners. All workshops will be held at the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center. Reserved tickets are required and can be purchased beginning Nov. 8 through the Web site www.monticello.org or by calling (434) 984-9881. $45.

Dec. 3, 2010

Dec. 4, 2010

Dec. 5, 2010

Dec. 6, 2010

Dec. 8, 2010

Dec. 10, 2010

Dec. 12, 2010

Saturdays in the Garden convene at:

the Garden Center, Jordan Classroom, and Smith Woodland Pavilion in the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center;
or at Tufton Farm: go 1.3 miles east of Monticello on the Thomas Jefferson Parkway (Rt. 53), take a left before the Simeon Market at a sharp right curve and proceed .6 mile on Milton Rd (Rt. 732) to Tufton entrance. Take a left and follow driveway to CHP headquarters in grey barn.
or at the Jefferson Library, at Kenwood, .2 mile east of Monticello's entrance on Rt. 53 (Thomas Jefferson Parkway);
or at Thomas Jefferson Parkway Trailhead, on Rt. 53, .2 mile east of the junction with Rt. 20.

Enrollment is limited and registration is required, except where noted. Reservations can be made by calling (434) 984-9880; advance tickets can be purchased online at www.monticello.org.


	Latest Tomato Tasting Results
	Latest Apple Tasting Results
	In Bloom at Monticello