Admissions

July 13, 2022

Chairman Boo Compton, Gabriella Garden Club

J. Dean Norton, Director of Horticulture at Mount Vernon, began working at Mount Vernon in 1960, starting as a part-time groundskeeper helper when in the 10th grade. Upon graduation from Clemson University, with a degree in ornamental horticulture, he began his full-time career as Mount Vernon’s boxwood gardener; in 1980, he was named horticulturist. He is responsible for applying the latest plant science and management to horticulture in this historic setting. Mr. Norton has devoted considerable time in researching 18th-century gardens and gardening practices and has become an accomplished speaker. The list of his speaking engagements is extensive; he was a recent speaker at the Restoration Committee’s Maintenance Workshop and was one of the featured speakers at the 2010 GCV Symposium.

Mr. Norton worked with the Restoration Committee and Rudy Favretti to install plantings along the oval walkway in front of Mount Vernon. He is working with Will Rieley to design landscape features for the gardens as described by George Washington in his diaries.

Peter Hatch, Director of Gardens and Grounds at Monticello, is responsible for the maintenance, interpretation and restoration of the 2,000-acre landscape since 1977. Maintaining and restoring the vegetable gardens, vineyards and orchards are also his responsibility. Using Thomas Jefferson’s extensive Garden Journal, sketches and letters, Mr. Hatch and a team of scholars, historians, architects, archaeologists and horticulturists recreated and rebuilt orchards, vineyards, nursery, flower beds, vegetable gardens and garden walls at Monticello. A poet, horticulturist and author of such books as The Gardens of Monticello and The Fruit Trees of Monticello, Peter Hatch is known as a leader in historical garden restoration, and he graciously shares his experiences and knowledge with others through numerous lectures, educational programs and garden tours.

The esteemed author David McCullough, wrote, “not since Jefferson himself has anyone combined such love and knowledge of all that blooms and grows and bears fruit at Monticello, as does Peter Hatch. Indeed, were Jefferson to return, I doubt there would be anyone he would more enjoy talking to than Peter Hatch.”

Peter Hatch’s extensive speaking engagements include the Restoration Committee’s Maintenance Workshop of the GCV and the 2010 GCV Symposium.

Charles G. McDaniel, Chairman of the Hilldrup Companies, is indeed a longtime friend to the GCV. A graduate of the School of Business Administration at the University of Richmond, he is active in many cultural and civic aspects of the City of Fredericksburg, and has been very active within the United Van Lines and UniGroup, Inc. organizations. Not only has Mr. McDaniel supported his wife, Mary Wynn, in her work in the Rappahannock Valley Garden Club, he has extended that support to the work of the GCV. Ten years ago, the need for a permanent storage facility for the GCV flower shows properties for all three shows led to his offer to store them at Hilldrup storage facilities without charge. In addition, he offered to transport the properties to and from each show regardless of the location within the state. For those clubs which have hosted shows, this has been of invaluable logistical and financial assistance. If this assistance were not generous enough, he donated the use of trolleys for the tours in downtown Fredericksburg and to Belmont during the 2008 GCV Symposium held in Fredericksburg; and this year, he has made another offer to store items for the GCV Restoration Committee.”