Thomas Jefferson’s magnificent vegetable garden at Monticello
As promised, I am posting a weekly photo previewing GHOST IMAGE, which will be released on April 21, 2015. This picture—Thomas Jefferson’s magnificent 1,000-foot vegetable garden—was taken during a visit to Monticello while I was also attending the annual Virginia Book Festival, which is held every March in Charlottesville.
In GHOST IMAGE, Sophie’s good friend Brother Kevin Boyle, a world-famous international environmentalist and a Franciscan friar, is is found dead in the gardens of the Franciscan Monastery in Washington, D.C. Convinced Kevin’s death was no accident, Sophie remembers that Kevin recently spent time doing research at Monticello and decides to pay a visit.
For more information on the long-term project to restore Jefferson’s garden, I highly recommend “A Rich Spot of Earth” by Peter J. Hatch, former Director of Monticello’s Gardens and Grounds. And I am greatly indebted to Peggy Cornett, historic gardener and Monticello’s Curator of Plants for a terrific tour during my visit.