The two-acre vegetable garden evolved over many years, beginning in 1770 when crops were first cultivated along the contours of the slope. Terracing was introduced in 1806, and by 1812, gardening activity was at its peak. Enslaved workers hewed the 1,000-foot-long terrace from the southeastern side of the mountain. A massive stone wall, standing over twelve feet high at its highest, supported the terrace. The garden overlooked an eight-acre orchard, a vineyard, and Monticello's berry squares, which are plots of figs, currants, gooseberries, and raspberries.
The garden was divided into twenty-four "squares," or growing plots, with an extra square reserved for asparagus and additional border plots nestled against the steep slope that leads up to Mulberry Row. At least in 1812, these squares were arranged according to whether they held "fruits" (tomatoes, beans), "roots" (beets, carrots), or "leaves" (lettuce, cabbage).
The garden’s location enabled Jefferson to extend the growing season into the winter months and provided an amenable microclimate for tender vegetables such as the French artichoke. Jefferson also used a portion of the border plots to plant peas very early in the season. The sheltered location against the slope warmed early in the spring and provided him a clear advantage in the annual annual neighborhood pea contests. The base of the stone wall below the garden also provided a uniquely warm setting. Jefferson successfully grew warmth-loving figs in these “submural beds.”
Perched atop the wall, at the halfway point of the garden, was a neoclassical brick garden pavilion with triple-sash windows, Tuscan cornice, and pyramidal roof enclosed by a Chinese railing. The pavilion was used by Jefferson as a quiet retreat where he could read in the evening. A violent storm in the early 1820s reportedly caused the 13-foot-square building to collapse into the orchard below. The pavilion was reconstructed in 1984 based on Jefferson's notes and archaeological excavations.