Garvan Woodland Gardens Hosts 'Welcome Home, George Washington' by Dean Norton on Nov. 7

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Dean Norton, the director of horticulture at Mount Vernon, will give a presentation Nov. 7 in Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Dean Norton, the director of horticulture at Mount Vernon, will present an American story titled “Welcome Home, George Washington” at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 7, in Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens. 

“See to it that you keep it the Home of Washington,” was the charge of Ann Pamela Cunningham, the founder of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association upon her retirement in 1874. For more than 150 years, people have studied, researched and dug in the earth for clues – helping to make the Virginia home of George Washington one of the most accurately restored 18th-century estates in America.

In his presentation, Norton will discuss the beauty, use and importance of Mount Vernon’s gardens and landscape, as well as the preservation over the years, with a focus on the most recently restored pleasure garden. Rather than a history lesson, Norton will present an informative yet entertaining look at the gardening world of George Washington.

Norton is responsible for applying the latest plant science and management techniques to horticulture in a historic setting. He started working at Mount Vernon at age 16. After graduating from Clemson University, he began his full-time career at Mount Vernon in 1977. For more than 35 years, Norton has devoted considerable time to researching 18th-century gardens and gardening practices.

Norton has been interviewed on television and radio and has lectured before many professional organizations throughout the country and abroad. He is a contributing writer to the book Dining With the Washingtons. He has received awards for conservation and preservation from the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Garden Club of America, as well as the American Horticultural Society’s Professional Award in 2006. Norton is also an honorary member of the Garden Club of Virginia, a board member of several historical sites, a screening committee member for the Garden Conservancy and a past president of the Southern Garden History Society.

An author’s reception and book signing will follow the presentation at the Pratt Welcome Center.

The presentation is $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling (800) 366-4664. Seating is limited to 160 people.

Garvan Woodland Gardens is the botanical garden of the University of Arkansas. It is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.