For as long as many residents of central Virginia can remember, Peter Hatch has been the director of gardens and grounds at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello estate. The gardens were not only the creation of Thomas Jefferson’s labor of love, his creative botanical talents, and his international travel…. they were Jefferson’s point of pride.
For decades Peter Hatch has skillfully maintained the gardens much as they were in Jefferson’s time. From the location of the fruit orchards to the perpetuation of hybrid seeds, these gardens remain beautiful in their no-nonsense approach to keeping the focus on the excellence of the produce.
Even though we now refer to gardens to include flower beds like the tulips and roses, in Jefferson’s mind the word “garden” referred only to the vegetables and fruits. Peter Hatch has cared for the grounds at Monticello as well as the vegetables, and he’s carefully followed the intentions and instincts of Jefferson as he kept Monticello’s gardens all these year. And now as he is stepping down as head of the gardens and grounds, he is preparing to document his career in a future book.
We look forward to his book. His talents will be missed at Monticello but he’s left a very vibrant thriving legacy from his career. You can read more details in the link above.
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