Located on the banks of the Potomac River, the property encompassed some 8,000 acres in George Washington’s days, but the current grounds are a mere 500 acres. Washington himself was the primary landscape designer of the vast property. A large bowling green in front of the house is the central element of the design, and the 4 gardens on the grounds both showcased Washington’s flowers and plants and provided fresh fruits and vegetables for the family.
We walked through the Upper Garden, a formal garden with a greenhouse and 6 planting beds. The current plantings replicate Washington’s own garden, according to historic drawings and plans. The design was neat and tidy with wide paths between the beds. The two largest beds featured fruits and vegetables in the center surrounded by flowers and ornamental trees with a boxwood border, resulting in an impressive and unique combined working and pleasure garden. The two beds in front of the greenhouse were purely ornamental, featuring a boxwood parterre trimmed as a Fleur de Lis. While we were visiting, there was a colonial musical demonstration in the greenhouse.
Another unique feature of the landscape was the use of “ha-ha walls”. Used to keep livestock off the main lawn and gardens, these hidden walls were not visible from the house. A ditch was dug at an angle into the ground and a wall built at the bottom back up to ground level. Since the wall itself was below ground level, it did not obscure the view of the river, and the decline to the base of the wall kept animals from crossing over.
The grounds also housed many different animals, including horse, sheep, chickens, pigs, and cattle. The various animals could be found near the house in the paddock area, as well as on the pioneer farm.
The grounds are beautiful and well worth your time to just wandering around.