Dear Mr. Jefferson

Dear Mr. Jefferson,

                After recently seeing pictures of your beautiful Monticello home, I couldn’t help but notice the thousands of gorgeous flowers in your beloved gardens. All of the vivid colors and unique arrangements literally bring your home to life. You seem to be well educated about gardens and what it takes to successfully maintain them. There is a book in your library called “The Theory and Practice of Gardening” by Antoine Joseph Dezallier d’Argentville that I would absolutely love to borrow from you if you would so kindly let me.

                Growing up, I carefully watched my mother plant radiant flowers around the perimeter of our home. She methodically placed each and every flower in a specific spot. My mother was the artist, flowers were her paint, and our yard was her canvas. I never understood how spending hours out in the intense Texas summer heat, putting plants in the dirt, could be enjoyable at all. However, to her it was a passion. She would always tell me, “Just try it Court! You never know if you like something until you give it a chance!” After quite some time of contemplating whether or not I actually want to take up gardening, I decided to give it a shot. If something so simple can bring such joy and peace to a person, why shouldn’t I try it? So here I am, taking my mother’s advice.

I need your help with my new journey in the world of gardening. With your permission, I would use your book to learn of this commonly practiced hobby and put a smile on my mother’s face. You truly know the beauty of nature and it is my hope that I can someday have a magnificent garden of my own so my future children can experience its elegance.  I promise to return your book in tip-top shape.

Your friend,

Courtney