The World Beneath Your Feet (Part II): A Tale of Three Soils
Emily Ellis
Read about the soil management of three different spaces in and around Oak Spring’s formal garden.
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Blog Posts
The World Beneath Your Feet (Part I)
OSGF
In observance of World Soil Day, assistant gardener Jordan Long discusses the process of revitalizing the soil in Oak Spring’s potager garden, and why healthy soil matters.
Read MoreOak Spring Garden Foundation Announces 2021 Fellows
OSGF
Learn about the 2021 recipients of our Eliza Moore Fellowship for Artistic Excellence, our Stacy Lloyd III Fellowship for Bibliographic Study, our Fellowship in Plant Science Research, and our Fellowship in Plant Conservation Biology.
Read MoreFour Native North American Crops to Try This Season
Emily Ellis
Read about four indigenous North American crops growing at Oak Spring’s Biocultural Conservation Farm.
Read MoreMeet our Fellows: Maddison Colvin's Eden(s)
Emily Ellis
Read about one of our 2020 Eliza Moore Fellows, whose work explores humankind’s visual, aesthetic, and cultural responses to gardens.
Read MorePoppies and Remembrance
Emily Ellis
Read the story of how the common poppy (papaver rhoeas) came to be a symbol of military remembrance.
Read MoreThe plants that help us say good-bye
Emily Ellis
Read about some of the plants used around the world in ceremonies and celebrations for the dead.
Read MoreThe World’s Most Monstrous Plants (Part II)
Emily Ellis
You likely won’t have to stray from your garden this Halloween to find monsters more gruesome, destructive and terrifying than anything conjured up in Hollywood. Scroll through our list of the world’s 10 most monstrous plants - if you dare.
Read MoreMeet our Fellows: Emma Steinkraus' Impossible Garden
Emily Ellis
Read about one of our 2020 Eliza Moore Fellows, who is working to bring the contributions of history’s female scientific artists to the light.
Read MoreCelebrating World Food Day: Cooking with Saved Sorghum
OSGF
To celebrate World Food Day, we’re talking about sorghum, an heirloom multi-use Appalachian crop grown in the BCCF’s seed saving garden.
Read MoreThe Plants in Pumpkin Spice
Emily Ellis
Read a botanical breakdown of this iconic autumn treat.
Read MoreTackling Common Garden Pests
Emily Ellis
Every garden and farm, no matter the size, has to deal with pests. Read about some primary trouble-makers at the Biocultural Conservation Farm, and how they are controlled through an Integrated Pest Management system.
Read MoreVirtual Bird Walk Species List
OSGF
See a list of the bird and butterfly species that we observed during our Virtual Bird Walk. The list was prepared by Tom Wood and Laura McDonald of the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia.
Read MoreFood, Cider, and Mobility: The Story of Johnny Appleseed
Zack Loehle
John Chapman - better known as Johnny Appleseed - was born 246 years ago today. Read all about the industrious nurseryman and his role in the history of American apples.
Read MoreNative Flowers for the Late-Season Garden
Emily Ellis
Read about several late-season native flowers and native hybrids - all lovely, low-maintenance, and pollinator favorites - that are currently spilling from our garden beds.
Read MoreBird Conservation at the ACE Basin
OSGF
In participation with the Biodiversity Heritage Library's Earth Optimism campaign, we spoke to conservationist Charles Lane about his decades of work to protect South Carolina’s ACE Basin watershed. Click on this post to watch a video about the project, which is conserving vital habitat for wetland birds.
Read MoreAlexander Wilson: America's First Birdman
Emily Ellis
One of the most interesting natural history texts in the Oak Spring Garden Library was penned by Alexander Wilson - the “father of American ornithology” that many people haven’t heard of.
Read MoreBringing Back the Birds
Emily Ellis
This year, Oak Spring staff and researchers have seen a marked increase in bobolinks at the foundation, a declining grassland bird species. Read about how our land management practices are supporting bobolinks and other threatened ground-nesting birds.
Read MorePaths Part One: On Gratitude
Caitlin Etherton
At the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, we’re fortunate to have a skilled stonemason on staff whose beautiful work guides us through the property. Read Greenhouse Manager Caitlin Etherton’s essay on paths at Oak Spring.
How to Start an Herb Tree
Emily Ellis
Learn how to start your own miniature topiary, or herb tree, from one of OSGF’s experienced gardeners.
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