Garden Lecture Series – Peggy Cornett

Preserving Plants fromthe Past — Monticello’s Historic Landscape

Elizabeth Park Conservancy Garden Lecture Series

Lecture and Lunch – Tickets $45
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Thomas Jefferson had a vision for his home and plantation that was as revolutionary as his political ideas. His love of Monticello resulted in a lifelong dedication to the gardens, landscapes, and views of his iconic Palladian villa. He labored on both the house and its surrounding landscapes for more than forty years. In retirement he famously said, “Though an old man, I am but a young gardener.” Restoring Jefferson’s gardens with accuracy requires rigorous research and careful preservation. The heirlooms of the garden, like priceless antiques, can tell us important and fascinating stories about our past. But, unlike fragile relics kept in museums, living antiques
depend upon us for survival and are best preserved and enjoyed by growing them. Horticultural expert Peggy Cornett’s presentation features the many varieties— from historic tulips and ancient roses to heirloom fruits and vegetables—that have been collected, propagated, and preserved in the gardens at Monticello today. Peggy, curator of plants, has worked at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello for thirty-five years, beginning in 1983 as the associate director of gardens and grounds. She earned degrees in English and Botany from UNC-Chapel Hill and a master’s from the University of Delaware’s Longwood Graduate Program. Peggy worked in the restored gardens at Old Salem (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) and Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana, and was director of the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants for seventeen years. Peggy is a frequent lecturer on garden history topics, writes articles for gardening magazines, professional journals and books, and appears on PBS programs, including “Virginia Home Grown” and “P. Allen Smith Garden Home.”