AHS LIVE: Thomas Jefferson’s Gardening Legacy
with Peggy Cornett, curator of plants, Monticello
Thursday, October 29, 2026 from 2-3 p.m. ET
Virtual
$15 AHS members/$20 non-members
This program is approved for 1 CEU with the Association of Professional Landscape Designers
Step into the often-complex history of Thomas Jefferson’s landscapes and gardens at Monticello. The heirlooms of the garden, like priceless antiques, can tell us important and fascinating stories about our past. Unlike fragile relics kept in museums, living antiques depend upon us for survival and are best preserved and enjoyed by growing them. Peggy Cornett, Monticello’s Curator of Plants, will discuss Jefferson’s lifelong passion for the natural world, landscape design, and horticulture and the many plant varieties—from historic tulips and ancient roses to heirloom fruits and vegetables—that have been collected, propagated, and preserved through the Center for Historic Plants for over forty years.
Peggy Cornett, curator of plants, has worked at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello since 1983, beginning as the associate director of gardens and grounds. She earned degrees in English and Botany from UNC-Chapel Hill and a master’s from the University of Delaware’s Longwood Graduate Program. Prior to Monticello, Peggy worked in the restored gardens at Old Salem Museum and Gardens (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) and Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana. She served as director of the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants for seventeen years. Peggy often lectures on garden history topics, writes articles for gardening magazines, professional journals and books, and gives radio and television interviews including PBS programs. Peggy serves on the garden advisory panel for Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest and edits Magnolia, the publication of the Southern Garden History Society (SGHS). In 2008, she received the SGHS “Flora Ann Bynum Medal” for exemplary service in the garden history field. In 2016 she received the Garden Club of America’s Zone VII Horticultural Commendation for her horticultural expertise, generosity in sharing knowledge, and dedication to preserving Thomas Jefferson’s botanical legacy. More recently Peggy received Honorary Memberships in the Garden Club of Virginia and the Garden Club of America. Peggy’s book, Thomas Jefferson’s Flowers, Historic Gardens at Monticello, was published by the University of Virginia Press and released May 2026.