WASHINGTON, D.C. ?EUR??,,????'??+ The American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) launched a horticultural endowment program for the upkeep of the historic gardens at George Washington?EUR??,,????'???s Mt. Vernon home in a September 21 ceremony on the Bowling Green site of the property. There was a ceremonial tree planting of a Canadian Hemlock, donated by ANLA-member firm Manor View Farms in Monkton, Md., to celebrate the launch of an endowment fund to preserve the landscape and historic trees at the Potomac estate. Mt. Vernon?EUR??,,????'???s annual budget is entirely dependent on ticket sales, which have been down since September 11, 2001, and were hard hit this year with the rainy spring and the hot summer. There are 13 historic trees on the estate that were planted under the direction of George Washington; like all large trees, they need proper care and maintenance. Creating an endowment fund for horticulture at Mount Vernon will eventually ensure that this historic garden site will be professionally cared for in perpetuity regardless of the whims of weather or ticket sales.