Behind The Scenes At The Mount Vernon Greenhouse Plant Sale

There are many facets to Mount Vernon’s horticulture division that most people aren’t aware of; for instance, did you know their greenhouse staff produces 15,000 to 20,000 vegetables, herbs, flowers, shrubs, and trees annually for Mount Vernon’s historic gardens, landscape, and retail sales? They have four greenhouses, three hoop houses, a plant nursery, lath house, espalier tree farm, and other areas totaling approximately 18,000 square feet. It’s a big space!  Also, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, they ensure that a fresh boxwood wreath has been assembled and delivered to the tomb of George Washington. During the holiday season, they maintain 150 poinsettias in Mount Vernon's public areas.

During the spring and summer, the focus is on planting and growing to support the estate’s needs, make displays, and, of course, the plant sale. In the fall and winter, the focus switches to collecting, cleaning, and processing seeds. These seeds are available at the gift shop and online, but you can also buy them as plants at the plant sale. They also collect seeds and take cuttings from trees and shrubs on the estate to propagate new trees and shrubs to plant at Mount Vernon and to sell - a process I find fascinating.

The greenhouse is managed by Melanie Welles Creamer, who - in addition to making sure the production needs are met, collecting seeds, and designing decorative planters for estate events - develops and teaches great classes! Seriously, they are amazing classes! She presents workshops on wreath making and other holiday celebration pieces and teaches classes on gardening tips and techniques. In addition to the in-person classes, there are livestreams from the greenhouse, and most recently, webinars on the Mount Vernon YouTube channel.  I have learned so much from her and her deep knowledge of horticulture. There are also four webinars for Mount Vernon members only (I might be a little biased, but it’s a great membership with discounted events, access to the estate, and other opportunities).

During the spring, greenhouse staff transplant and tend to thousands of seedlings as they mature and work to make sure the seedlings are the right size and condition to meet the planting schedules for the gardens. The plant sale provides an opportunity to buy some of the historic plants grown on the estate, including many interesting and useful plants. The sale is staffed by Mount Vernon horticulture staff and volunteers and provides the opportunity for the public to ask questions and receive gardening advice.

The Mount Vernon Historic Plant Sale is located at the overflow parking lot of Mount Vernon, by the Conservation Complex and Volunteer Center. General Public Shopping Days are April 23 and 24, from 9am to 3pm.

More details and a list of many of the plants for sale can be found here!  Some of my favorites are the paw paw trees, native honeysuckle, heirloom tomatoes, strawberry plants, oregano and other herbs, and the snapdragons. The snapdragons I bought at last year’s sale looked great on my back patio! Hope to see you at the plant sale but if you can’t make it, the greenhouse staff stocks and maintains a small plant stand in the lobby of the Main Gift Shop at Mount Vernon and another stand outside the Upper Garden throughout the growing season.