The Gardens of Monticello were gardens first designed by Thomas Jefferson for his plantation Monticello near Charlottesville, Virginia. Jefferson's detailed historical accounts of his 5,000 acres provide much information about the ever-changing contents of the gardens. The areas included a flower garden, a fruit orchard, and a vegetable garden. Jefferson, a connoisseur of trees, flowers, and gardening techniques, was highly interested in experimental planting and directed the design of the gardens, which contained many exotic seeds and plants from his travels abroad. The gardens declined after Jefferson's death in 1826, when his estate was encumbered with debt. Since 1938, when the Thomas Jefferson Foundation invited its participation, the Garden Club of Virginia has worked to restore and maintain the gardens with historical accuracy. History Thomas Jefferson's interest in flowers and planting can be dated to 1766, when he began documenting his naturalistic observations in his Garden Book. Jefferson wrote detailed descriptions of the blooming patterns of various species of flowers in his family garden at his house in Shadwell, Virginia. Jefferson's interest was also sparked by the extensive literature on the subject of gardening including Philip Miller's The Gardener's Dictionary, Bernard McMahon's The American Gardener's Calendar and Thomas Whately's Observations on Modern Gardening. His approach to gardening was heavily influenced by Thomas Whaley's work and his description of the technique of naturalistic gardening. Naturalistic design features curvilinear paths, the informal planting of flowers, unregimented, borders, wild flowers, and asymmetrical forms. Jefferson first toured English gardens in 1786 and grew especially fond of the naturalistic gardens he observed, compared to the more formal Parisian gardens. These English gardens influenced Jefferson's design of his own garden. Jefferson inherited Monticello in 1757 and moved there in 1770. There is little documentation of any planting until 1807, most likely due to Jefferson's travels to France in 1784 and the preliminary landscaping that had to be completed. After the land was cleared, roads were built, and trees and shrubs were planted, Jefferson began planning the layout of his gardens. He collected many plants from the surrounding countryside, but also from abroad. André Thouin, Jefferson's friend and the Superintendent of the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, sent Jefferson seeds from Europe. The gardens contained many exotic species, including the empress tree from China and Japan Jefferson also had flowers from nurseries sent to him up the James and Rivanna rivers to a town near Monticello. Supplying