“No person has been more zealous to enrich the United States by the introduction of new and useful vegetables,” –Nicholas King, 1806

Certain US Presidents have been notorious for their green thumbs, perhaps none more so than Thomas Jefferson and the garden he kept at home at Monticello.

Weeks before Presidents’ Day, we were excited to see advance copies of Monticello Garden and Grounds Director Peter J. Hatch’s “A Rich Spot of Earth”: Thomas Jefferson’s Revolutionary Garden at Monticello, with Foreword by Alice Waters, the first book devoted to all aspects of the Monticello vegetable garden, to be published in April 2012 in association with the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello. Extensively and painstakingly restored under Hatch’s brilliant direction, Jefferson’s unique vegetable garden now boasts the same medley of plants he enthusiastically cultivated in the early nineteenth century.

Click to preview pages from "A Rich Spot of Earth"

Before gardening events begin later in the spring, we’d like to show some of the beautiful pages from the book, featuring more than 200-color illustrations, as Hatch guides us from the asparagus and artichokes first planted in 1770 through the horticultural experiments of Jefferson’s retirement years (1809–1826). He explores topics ranging from labor in the garden, garden pests of the time, and seed saving practices to contemporary African-American gardens. He also discusses Jefferson’s favorite vegetables and the hundreds of varieties he grew, the half-Virginian half-French cuisine he developed, and the gardening traditions he adapted from many other countries.

What’s more is that you can preview a full galley of this and other YUP titles by registering and signing in at NetGalley.com!