In the Garden at Monticello - Jefferson's Grove

A walk through a portion of Monticello's forest to learn about Jefferson's ideal American landscape. In 1806 Thomas Jefferson envisioned a pleasure ground on the northwestern side of Monticello. He designated this area to be a "Grove," representing his ideal American landscape, where "gardens may be made without expense" by removing the "superabundant plants." He intended it to be an ornamental forest in which the largest trees are trimmed high "so as to give the appearance of open ground." Since 1977, this eighteen-acre tract of forest has been maintained and contains many mature native trees and woodland wildflowers, including spring flowering ephemerals.