DiggingforInformation

Todiscoverwhichplantswereoriginal
toWashington’stime,theteamduglong,shallowrectanglesinseveralplaces.Theydugjustdeepenoughtoseethecluesthatlay underground.


Insomesections,thesoilwasdarkerthanthesurroundingdirt.Thiswasanimportantclue.Washingtonusedrich,manure-likesoilforplanting.Itwasmorefertile.Thisdarkersoilrevealedwheretheoriginalplantingbeds were.

Duringtheirexcavation,theteamdugupshallowsectionsofthegardentolookforcluesinthe soil.

DiggingDeeper

Whattheteamfoundinthesoilwasevenmoreinteresting.TheyfoundpollenandseedsfromWashington’stime.Theycollectedmicroscopicplantcellsamples.Theseweresenttoaspeciallaboratory.There,scientistscoulddeterminethespeciesofeachplant.Thishelpedinformresearchersaboutwhethera plant was indigenoustotheregionorexotic.Washingtonhad both.


ImportingplantsfromotherpartsoftheworldinWashington’sdaywouldhavetakenalotoftime,money,andpower.Washingtonhadit all!