My Monticello Garden Hat.

We will try this winter to cover our garden with a heavy coating of manure. When earth is rich it bids defiance to droughts, yields in abundance, and of the best quality. I suspect that the insects which have harassed you have been encouraged by the feebleness of your plants; and that has been produced by the lean state of the soil. We will attack them another year with joint efforts.
~ Thomas Jefferson, in 1793, in a letter to his daughter Martha Randolph regarding insect damage in the Monticello gardens.

[Photo credit: Luke P. Pieczynski © 2009]

My sister lives in Virginia, and last summer we went to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello (pictured above) to tour his 1,000-foot by 80-foot vegetable garden (pictured below) on his 5,000-acre plantation and estate in Charlottesville, Virginia.

[Photo credit: Luke P. Pieczynski © 2009]

Thomas Jefferson, commonly known as our third president and the writer of the Declaration of Independence, was an avid gardener, so much so that he devised a wind gauge that could be viewed from 5 different places from within his Monticello home so he could be easily aware of the weather conditions affecting his garden. I think that Jefferson would be very pleased to see Michelle Obama's efforts on the Whitehouse South Lawn. Like our First Lady, he, too, prided himself on the diversity and variety of plants within his garden, growing over 330 varieties of more than 70 species of herbs and vegetables, including 23 varieties of his favorite-peas, two of which I am growing this year in my garden— Prince Albert Pea and Marrowfat Pea. I am also growing his Connecticut Field Pumpkin, Carolina or Sieva Lima Beans, and Yellow Arikara Beans.

Along with seed purchases, I also bought my garden hat. I wear it so often that if my neighbors see me outside without it, they ask me where my hat is. It has been great at keeping my face and neck sunburn free, and also blocking the blinding sun from my eyes. It's a perfectly ideal garden hat for spring and fall. But unfortunately I am finding, not so ideal for summer; the top of the hat is not vented, and my head has turned as red as a beet from overheating.

So now I am on a search for a summer/vented garden hat that I will like as much as my Monticello one. I found this Stay Cool Hat. Practical, yes. Attractive, no. I kinda like the Crownless Hat, but worry that the sun will redden and/damage the hair on the crown of my head during my long hours in the garden. I may get an Asian Coolie Hat, aka Sedge or Paddy Hat.