The attitudes of Virginia explorers and colonists toward the land and its resources and how these attitudes informed their treatment of them was investigated. The effect of the expectation that Virginia was a newly discovered Garden of Eden on plant cultivation was explored, in terms of agriculture and domestic utilitarian and pleasure gardens.

It was determined that the expectation of an Eden in Virginia resulted in the exploitation of Virginia's resources and the creation of formal gardens as a symbol of control over the land.

Garden designs and plants used during specific periods in Virginia history were described. In Part II of this thesis, this information was used to determine historical gardens for Airfield Conference Center in Sussex County, Virginia.