April Friends First Friday – Gardens at Monticello

Fee: $10 for members, $12 for non-members

Please join Jason Young, director of horticulture and grounds at the State Botanical Garden, for a conversation about the landscape of Monticello Mountain in Charlottesville, Virginia. Before coming to the University of Georgia, he worked as the manager and curator of historic gardens at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s historic home. Jefferson was passionate about nature and what agricultural plants could do for our young nation. In this talk, we will discuss Jefferson’s “Ferme Orne” or Ornamental farm that he planned and developed on Monticello Mountain from the first ground-breaking in 1768 to his death in 1826. Young will also talk about his work bringing this landscape to life as Manager and Curator of Historic Gardens at Monticello.

Young’s work at the State Botanical Garden involves managing the 323 acres of land and cultivated gardens and working with local communities to install native plant gardens throughout the state. Young is a certified wildland burn manager, wildland firefighter and ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certified arborist. He holds a master’s in horticulture from Colorado State University and two bachelor’s degrees in biology and art.