... in which we learn about how much America's Founding Fathers loved their gardens, and how this contributed to the shaping of a country.
Andrea Wulf, a British design historian, takes us on a journey around the world with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and James Madison in Founding Gardeners. For the purposes of this book, "gardening" is used loosely, and can refer to gentlemen who simply oversee the planting and cultivation of an estate, either with servants or slaves. Each chapter is devoted to either a particular man or a particular significant event in early American history. Wulf's writing is full of colorful details and is very engaging. She addresses topics like Washington's beloved gardens and plantations, Jefferson's world-wide search for plants to bring to America, Adams' love and pride in his fully American garden, Madison's tour of Europe and his prolific plantation in the USA, the Constitutional Convention, the creation of Washington, D.C., and the westward expansion during Jefferson's presidency.
