Oldal 316 [316]
xo eee ——$ 16RD
THe PoTaqaMAc AND RAPPAHANNOCK
=— a. SS ETT = — a ZTaztttTTTTTKÉTTTTtTTTTKTTTTTKStTTTTTÉ TT Tt == Eo uz = =
signed with a sundial in the center and carriageway around it.
To the left, looking from the house, we find the kitchen, butler’s
house, smoke-house, laundry and large coach-house. Also, an
enormous barn where many horses were kept, while to the right
we have the office, gardener’s house, carpenter-shop, spinning¬
house, and later, an ice-house.
- The vegetable gardens are in terraces. During those early
years, doubtless, they held many fruit trees, but only a few pear
and apple remain. A grape arbor runs across the upper terrace,
and the whole garden is protected by the brick wall, topped by a
white picket fence. We still find some upshoots of the original
fig-trees. Amariah Frost, who wrote a description of the vegetable
garden during Washington’s life, found this garden “‘very elegant.”’
“With abundance of fig-trees, currant-bushes, limes, oranges, large
English mulberries, artichokes, etc.” At each side of the entrance
masses of bush box. In fact, there is so much boxwood at Mount
Vernon that we are led to believe that while it may be hard to
get established it is certainly very enduring and will outlast many
other evergreens.
At the far end of the vegetable garden is the seedhouse. In
his diary George Washington shows with what interest he studied
the English seed catalogues, and with what eagerness he exploited,
with more or less success, the latest improvement in horticulture.
The seedhouse and schoolhouse were of the same design, octagonal,
with brick foundations, and slabs of wood cut to represent marble.
The brick walls surrounding both gardens are in perfect preserva¬
tion. These enclosed gardens are such restful places, shut in from
the turmoil and confusion of the outside world.
Let us cross the lawn to the flower garden as it is. Here, in¬
deed, box reigns supreme. Masses and masses of it, in straight and
square beds, circles, hearts, moons, lozenges and double circles;
all healthy, strong and, best of all, planted by these dear young
owners of Mount Vernon. The box borders are so fine that one
wonders how they survived these long years. We of the garden
L193] |