Among the many designations given to the month of April is World Landscape Architecture Month. This should come with little surprise as many of us start to make our way outdoors this spring to work on our gardens.
Whether for growing food or for pleasure, landscapes and gardening were also important to many Americans before and after the American Revolution. Not least among these was George Washington. Between 1785 and 1787, Washington undertook renovations to the landscape at Mount Vernon. Despite his recent military triumph, Washington looked to the British for landscaping inspiration. The results of which can be seen in any number of prints featuring the Washington estate, such as this one from the DAR Museum collection. In 1798, Polish traveler Julian Niemcewicz remarked that, "After seeing his house and his gardens one would say that he had seen the most beautiful examples in England.” Americans could easily find examples of English gardens in the widely circulated prints of the time, like this one of "Buckingham House."