The first garden to be created at Mount Vernon by George Washington was the kitchen garden in 1760. Also called a “garden of necessity,” it was vital for health and survival on the estate. In the 18th century, it provided food to the family kitchen for the Washingtons and their many guests. From then until now, the purpose for that same garden has not changed.

Gardeners from Washington’s time wrote that a plot the size of Mount Vernon’s kitchen garden would require one full-time gardener and should feed 14 to 18 people. These days, there is a gardener specifically assigned to the kitchen garden. However, the harvest from that garden benefits far more than 14 to 18 people.

Just as the estate’s 18th-century gardeners harvested vegetables, fruit, and berries from the kitchen garden 221 years ago, so too do today’s 21st-century gardeners, with the bulk of the produce going to the less fortunate. At the conclusion of this past growing season, staff recorded almost 5,000 pounds of harvested vegetables. Most of this produce went to local food banks, including the Capital Area Food Bank and Arcadia Mobile Market. The on-estate Mount Vernon Inn restaurant also utilizes some of the vegetables, and the rest is distributed to Mount Vernon staff.

Last season, the kitchen garden was planted with everything from lavender to kale. The most harvested vegetables? White potatoes, 560 lbs; cabbage, 418 lbs; and sweet potatoes, 630 lbs. 

Discover more of what is grown in the gardens at mountvernon.org/plantfinder.

Photo by Rob Shenk