George Washington – Mount Vernon

George Washington was the first President of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Washington was also a horticulturist, farmer and landscape designer at heart.  As he was struggling with issues of our new nation or commanding operations of the Continental Army, he often wrote of his yearning to be at his home in Virginia, known as Mount Vernon.

He spent a great deal of effort improving the landscaping of his Mount Vernon Estate. George Washington’s design for his estate included four separate gardens covering more than six acres. In addition to the gardens, Mount Vernon includes several hundred acres of surrounding forest and a quarter-mile-long forest trail. Washington placed a high value on the trees at Mount Vernon, often avoiding clearing trees even if it meant less land for growing crops.

Today Mount Vernon is an American landmark and an enduring tribute to the Father of Our Country. One of the nation’s most beloved historic sites, Mount Vernon offers a glimpse into 18th-century plantation life through beautiful gardens and grounds, intriguing museum exhibits, and immersive programs honoring George Washington’s life and legacy. The current property consists of 350 acres; the historic outbuildings, including the house, are near the riverfront.

Seeds have been collected from the George Washington Sycamore that grows on the banks of the Potomac River, the Sweet Gum, Redbud and Hornbeam, which were a common landscape feature during Washington’s time, and the Red Buckeye that George Washington discovered in Kanawah County, West Virginia, bringing seeds back to Mount Vernon in 1784.