DiggingforInformation

TodiscoverwhichplantswereoriginaltoWashington’stime,Boroughs’teamexcavatedthegardeninsections.Theyduglong,shallowrectanglesinseveralplaces.Theydugjustdeepenoughtoseethenaturalcluesthatlay underground.


Insomesections,thesoilwasadifferentcolorthanthesurroundingdirt.Itwasdarker.Thiswasanimportantclue.Washingtonusedrich,manure-likesoilforplantingbecauseitwasmorefertile.Basedonthelocationofthisdarkersoil,theteamcouldseeexactlywheretheoriginalplantingbeds were.

Duringtheirexcavation,theteamdugupshallowsectionsofthegardentolookforcluesinthe soil.

DiggingDeeper

Whattheteamfoundinthesoilwasevenmoreinteresting.TheplantingbedswerefullofevidencefromWashington’stime.Theyfoundpollenandseedsinthebeds.Theyalsocollectedmicroscopicplantcellsamples.Theseweresenttoaspeciallaboratorywherescientistscoulddeterminethespeciesofeachplant.Thiswasespeciallyusefultotheresearchersbecauseithelpedinformthemaboutwhetheraplantwasindigenoustotheregionorexotic.Washingtonhad both.


Importingplantsfromotherpartsoftheworldinthe18thcenturywouldhavetakenalotoftime,money,andconnections.TheplantsinWashington’sgardenwerealivingtestamenttothefactthathehadalotofmoneyand power.