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Vegetables Planted Thursday, May 10 at Mount Vernon Estate for Inn at Little Washington Celebration Dinner June 16

Dean Norton, Chef O’Connell,  Martha and George Washington at the planting of the special dinner vegetables for Inn at Little Washington. (Photo by Kris Gilbertson)

By Kris Gilbertson

On June 16th, George Washington’s Mount Vernon will host the first of a series of celebrations for The Inn at Little Washington‘s 40th year. The menu that evening will include baby vegetables planted today in the mansion’s  garden by Chef Patrick O’Connell himself.

The mansion garden covers about one acre. (Photo by Kris Gilbertson)

Members of the media, including Zebra‘s Debby Critchley and Kris Gilbertson, were invited to watch the planting, which was enhanced by the presence George and Martha Washington re-enactors.

General Washington had surveyed the area around the Inn at Little Washington and danced at the inn, so it is fitting that the first celebration takes place at the General’s home.

Mount Vernon’s garden has been continuously producing since 1768 and fed all of the luminaries of the Revolutionary. This was in addition to the 400 hams Mrs. Washington put up each year.

General Washington and Sam Murphy awaiting the thirsty crowd. (Photo by Kris Gilbertson)

Following the garden festivities, guests were treated to samples of both white and aged whisky from the General’s distillery.

Special thanks to Dean Norton, director of horticulture, Sam Murphy, manager of historic trades (that’s the distillery), and Rebecca Aliosi, vice president of marketing, as well as Katie Proebe and Sarah Stio of the Mount Vernon staff.

 

 

Mary Wadland

Mary Wadland is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Zebra Press, founded by her in 2010. Originally from Delray Beach, Florida, Mary is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke, VA and has lived and worked in the Alexandria publishing community since 1987.

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