Monty Don introduces MyCapitalGardensUSA

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this web site. Here, for the first time the gardens and National Parks of Washington, Virginia and Maryland, along with the wineries and farmers’ markets of the region have been presented so that you can see them all together. It is an extraordinary array of natural and horticultural riches and although it is great to browse through them here, nothing can match the experience of actually paying them a visit.

I had the privilege of doing just that a few years ago, filming for the BBC, and was amazed at the beauty and diversity of the scenery. As well as the natural beauty I was, of course, hoping to see beautiful gardens and I was certainly not disappointed.

There is a wide range of spectacular gardens to visit, many loaded with history as well as exciting examples of the most modern ideas about contemporary garden design.

Perhaps the most famous garden in the whole region - if not the whole of America - is Monticello, the great garden of one of America’s greatest presidents, Thomas Jefferson. I made my pilgrimage there in autumn when the fall colours were at their best but I long to return in spring and see it again - and many of the other gardens I missed first time round such as Dumbarton Oaks, Ladew Topiary Gardens and as many of the fabulous arboretums in this region. I do hope that this site will help you plan your own trip and if you enjoy it half as much as I have done then I assure you a truly memorable experience. Of course if you take part in the competition and win then the trip will be entirely free!

Monty Don