Historic Tree Grove: Mount Vernon American Holly

Mount Vernon
Mt. Vernon in Virginia was the home of our first president, George Washington. Washington developed the property’s 500 acres to create a fitting setting for a country gentleman. He designed the grounds to include a deep border of woods, rolling meadows, serpentine walkways, a pleasure garden, a kitchen garden, and groves of trees. 

During Washington's life, Mount Vernon was an 8000 acre plantation divided into five farms. Each farm was a complete unit, with its own overseers, work force of slaves, livestock, equipment, and buildings. As nearly as possible, Mount Vernon was a self-contained community. Nothing was purchased that could be produced on site.

The farm where Washington and his family lived was called the "Mansion House Farm." This is the part of the plantation that visitors see today. One of Washington's great interest was plants and trees native to the newly formed United States of America, and he had an especial fondness for American Holly trees. Our tree is a seedling from one of the holly trees on Washington's property.

Crops growing at the Mount Vernon estate today

The kitchen gardens at Mount Vernon have been lovingly restored in recent years. They feature kitchen crops of vegetables and fruit surrounded by flowers to attract pollinators like butterflies and bees. A large greenhouse dominates the area (shown below), which during Washington's time was tended 24 hours a day during the cold season so that the fires that heated the building would never burn out.

American Holly (Ilex opaca)
American Holly is one of 11 holly species native to America, three of which can be found in Florida. This holly is used widely in the US for holiday decorations, as the prickly waxy green leaves most closely resemble European Holly (Ilex aquifolium). The berries ripen to a dark red, if local songbirds leave them on the tree long enough - ours always seem to disappear by late fall! American Holly grows in zones 5 - 9, reaching up to 50 feet tall in ideal growing conditions.

This American Holly, photographed at the Mount Vernon estate, dates to 1863.

Red, White and Blue Garden

Washington was an avid gardener, and the restored gardens at the Mount Vernon Historical Site today attest to that. Unfortunately, much of what grows well in northern Virginia does not necessarily grow well in Florida, so rather than trying to recreate those plantings, we have chosen to honor our first president with simple red, white, and blue plants in the colors of the American Flag instead.

Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetiformis) - A rush-like plant with long graceful stems covered in tube-shaped red flowers that butterflies like Cloudless Sulphurs love to visit.

White Tropical Sage (Salvia coccinea 'Snow Nymph') - This native cultivar goes through flushes of white blooms also attractive to butterflies. It thrives when cut back between bloom cycles, and will re-seed readily. A must-have for any butterfly garden.

Blue Daze (Evolvulus glomeratus) - This plant from South America has a low-growing mounding habit, and is tolerant of many growing conditions in Florida. Evolvulus does best in Florida during fall, winter, and spring, since our summer rains can sometimes be a bit much for it. As long as it is planted in well-drained soil, however, it will hang in there and return after the rains die back a bit.

Flags of a Revolution
Decorations in this garden include two metal signs. One depicts the "Betsy Ross" American flag first adopted by Congress in 1777: "Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."

The other sign re-creates the "Join or Die" political cartoon published by Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754. This cartoon shows the 13 colonies as parts of a snake, helpless alone but powerful when joined together. There is no evidence this cartoon was ever made into a flag, but the ratttlesnake theme was seized upon by other newspapers, leading to the iconic Gadsden flag showing a coiled rattlesnake and the motto "Don't Tread on Me". This flag was first presented to Congress in 1775 as new naval flag.

Mount Vernon American Holly Artwork
Artwork for the Mount Vernon American Holly information sign was created by local artist Holly Bird.

The artwork for the Mount Vernon bench was created by Florida artist Peter Stilton.

Artist Statement:  

Painting can be a way to reflect on history, through recreating stylistic or subject material. I prefer to let the brush and paint play with these themes to create a very individual and inspired view which allows the viewer to feel the magic of this approach.

The artistic sensibility of the eighteenth century, especially as seen in the beauty, order and harmony of the fine arts, decorative arts, architecture, and gardens of that period of our history have always elicited a special fascination for me. In addition, my undergraduate degree was in history, with a keen interest in the political, philosophical and religious events surrounding the French and American Revolutions. So, George Washington's beloved Mount Vernon estate was always a favorite destination when I lived in upstate New York.