Monday, July 25, 2011

The Walled Garden of Montpelier

(My laptop went on the blink last week which prevented me from posting. It is three years old, and I may need to get a new one. This is the second time this has happened within a year. I hope things are under control now...so here goes.)


Montpelier is the estate of James Madison, the fourth president of the United States and often considered 'the Father of the Constitution.' Recently, a friend and I took a tour of the home and garden.

The home was sold by the Madison family in 1844. In 1901, the estate was purchased by the duPont family and remained in the family until 1984 when it was transferred to Mrs. Marion duPont Scott's Trust for Historical Preservation. The Montpelier Foundation was established by the trust to manage Montpelier. In 2003, the foundation began restoring the Madison mansion to the 1820's home of James and Dolley Madison.

There is still much restoration to be done to the home, but the gardens were in their prime.

Lots of old trees...










The Walled Garden











The perennial bed...














Hydrangeas...








































The Herb Garden








Yarrow


Anise


I am linking in with An Oregon Cottage for Tuesday Garden Party.
©Michelle A. Potter

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46 comments:

  1. ShyrleneJuly 25, 2011 at 8:50 PM

    Sage B. - this is exactly why I love garden bloggers; I don't know when I would ever get to visit Montpelier myself - but with your post, I feel like I've had a personal tour. Thanks! --Shyrlene

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  2. AnonymousJuly 25, 2011 at 9:16 PM

    Beautiful gardens, but that huge tree got my attention. Looks like it has been there a very long time.

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  3. agreenearthJuly 25, 2011 at 9:26 PM

    What a beautiful place, thanks for sharing.

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  4. Casa MariposaJuly 25, 2011 at 10:00 PM

    The perennial border blew me away!! It's sooo long!! Thanks for the tour! Thanks for your very kind comment on my post. :o)

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  5. Beth at PlantPostingsJuly 25, 2011 at 11:31 PM

    Lovely! Thanks for taking us on the tour. And your photos are fabulous!

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  6. Rock rose July 26, 2011 at 12:32 AM

    Wow! That is a lovely garden. I don't suppose I will ever get there so it is lovely to join you on the garden visit. Any chance you could change the color of your text. I just can't read it on the green back ground.

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  7. RoseJuly 26, 2011 at 7:41 AM

    It's so nice to see that historic gardens like this are being preserved. Such a beautiful place--I love all the hydrangeas! Thanks for taking us along on this tour.

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  8. La Vie QuotidienneJuly 26, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    What a beautiful garden. I know that Madison was considered one of the 'Founding Gardeners' after reading a book on the subject but I have never been to his garden and it is indeed lovely.

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  9. Diana StuderJuly 26, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    The circles and the gentle lawned steps are glorious.

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  10. The Sage ButterflyJuly 26, 2011 at 9:40 AM

    @Shyrlene I feel the same, Shyrlene. There are so many beautiful gardens all over the world, and I love seeing them through these blogs. I am so glad you enjoyed this visit to Montpelier.

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  11. The Sage ButterflyJuly 26, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    @greenapplesgarden.com It was indeed fascinating to see these old cedar, pecan, and black walnut trees. I don't see them at that age very often.

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  12. The Sage ButterflyJuly 26, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    @Greenearth Thanks, greenearth. I enjoyed the tour just as much.

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  13. The Sage ButterflyJuly 26, 2011 at 9:45 AM

    @Casa Mariposa Isn't that perennial border amazing? I wish I had the room to make one that large....so pretty.

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  14. The Sage ButterflyJuly 26, 2011 at 10:06 AM

    @Lancashire rose I am so glad you enjoyed the tour. I tweeked the colors a bit on the blog...hope that helps.

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  15. The Sage ButterflyJuly 26, 2011 at 10:10 AM

    @Rose I don't think it was completely as it was when James Madison resided there since the duPonts spent some time owning and living at the property. The gardens are lovely, nonetheless. I would guess that some of the areas remained the same.

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  16. The Sage ButterflyJuly 26, 2011 at 10:14 AM

    @La Vie Quotidienne He was quite vocal against the subject of deforestation. I am so glad you enjoyed the tour.

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  17. The Sage ButterflyJuly 26, 2011 at 10:15 AM

    @Elephant's Eye I could have spent much longer in that walled garden. It was like being in 'The Secret Garden.' Everywhere I looked there was a special corner or beautiful display of color or a lovely surprise. I am so glad you enjoyed it as well.

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  18. The Sage ButterflyJuly 26, 2011 at 10:17 AM

    @PlantPostings Thanks, Beth. I am so glad you enjoyed it.

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  19. Zumbaqueen80July 26, 2011 at 10:26 AM

    Just beautiful, great job capturing it on camera! Would love to visit there myself sometime.

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  20. SherrieJuly 26, 2011 at 10:31 AM

    Hi!
    Beautiful! Thanks for the tour. Have a great day!

    Sherrie
    Food for Thought

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  21. LonaJuly 26, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    What a beautiful place. I would just love to visit it and see the gardens and history. It is on my list of places to visit so maybe some day.

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  22. The Sage ButterflyJuly 26, 2011 at 11:11 AM

    @Zumbaqueen80 It was a happy accident that we visited...and I am so glad we did. I am glad you enjoyed the tour.

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  23. The Sage ButterflyJuly 26, 2011 at 11:21 AM

    @Sherrie I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by.

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  24. linniewJuly 26, 2011 at 11:32 AM

    I love the trough, up on legs-- I've been wanting to make some sort of long, elevated planter like that, probably of wood--this image reminded me... And such a lot of well-tended gardens! Thanks Butterfly!

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  25. Carolyn @ Carolyn's Shade GardensJuly 26, 2011 at 11:51 AM

    Thanks for the virtual tour--I have never been to Mountpelier.

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  26. AnonymousJuly 26, 2011 at 1:11 PM

    Stunning! The curves on those perennials beds are gorgeous....thanks for giving us the tour!

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  27. BridgetJuly 26, 2011 at 3:23 PM

    Beautiful garden. Thanks for sharing it. I used to live in Bristol, in an area called Montpelier!

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  28. HolleyGardenJuly 26, 2011 at 4:50 PM

    What a beautiful garden. And your pictures are wonderful. Thanks for the tour. I would imagine this was a great garden to experience.

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  29. donaJuly 26, 2011 at 5:25 PM

    Hi Michelle! A lovely and peaceful place: I enjoyed your photos so much!

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  30. LolaJuly 26, 2011 at 7:30 PM

    Those gardens are fantastic. Thanks for taking us on the tour. Sure wish I could see it in person.

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  31. AnonymousJuly 26, 2011 at 9:08 PM

    It looks like a beautiful place to visit. I love that big drift of yellow daylilies. Did they smell wonderful?
    Sorry to hear about your computer problems. Mine is 6 years old, and I try to remember to back up regularly! -Jean

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  32. Rosie@leavesnbloomJuly 27, 2011 at 2:44 AM

    Those hydrangeas are just magnificent and I love that sweeping herbaceous border.

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  33. Athena at Minerva's GardenJuly 27, 2011 at 12:27 PM

    Those planters are especially beautiful!

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  34. The Sage ButterflyJuly 27, 2011 at 8:28 PM

    @linniew Isn't that an amazing planter? And they planted it so nicely.

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  35. The Sage ButterflyJuly 27, 2011 at 8:29 PM

    @Carolyn @ Carolyn's Shade Gardens You are very welcome! I am so glad you enjoyed it!

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  36. The Sage ButterflyJuly 27, 2011 at 8:30 PM

    @Hanni They were beautiful beds...I was admiring them for a while.

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  37. The Sage ButterflyJuly 27, 2011 at 8:31 PM

    @Bridget That is so ironic! I am so glad you enjoyed the tour.

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  38. The Sage ButterflyJuly 27, 2011 at 8:32 PM

    @HolleyGarden Yes, it was a very nice experience. We really enjoyed it.

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  39. The Sage ButterflyJuly 27, 2011 at 8:33 PM

    @dona Thanks, Dona. I am so glad you enjoyed it.

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  40. The Sage ButterflyJuly 27, 2011 at 8:35 PM

    @Lola I am so glad you liked it. If I could, I would visit gardens every week....so much fun!

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  41. The Sage ButterflyJuly 27, 2011 at 8:37 PM

    @jeansgarden There was a lot of fragrance in that garden...especially in the herb garden. I wish I could say I had a laptop for that long. I like to keep things for a long time.

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  42. The Sage ButterflyJuly 27, 2011 at 8:38 PM

    @Rosie@leavesnbloom I was really taken by that herbaceous border. I am glad you liked the tour.

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  43. The Sage ButterflyJuly 27, 2011 at 8:39 PM

    @Athena at Minerva's Garden They look so old and unique. I wish I could find some like that.

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  44. LynnJuly 28, 2011 at 1:10 AM

    Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

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  45. The Sage ButterflyJuly 28, 2011 at 5:33 PM

    @Lynn Thanks, Lynn. I am so glad you enjoyed it!

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  46. The Sage ButterflyJuly 29, 2011 at 2:37 PM

    @Lona I have one of those lists, too!

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'I see trees of green, red roses, too
I see 'em bloom for me and for you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world'
--What a Wonderful World

Thank you for visiting The Sage Butterfly blog. I enjoy reading your charming reflections very much. Have a great day!

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