What to Expect from Brood X
Emily Ellis
They’re coming! Read about what gardeners, farmers, and others can expect from these 17-year cicadas.
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Blog Posts
Wondrous Weeds
Emily Ellis
In celebration of National Herb Week, we’re featuring five weeds - mullein, yarrow, dandelion, plantain, and pokeweed- that grow abundantly around Oak Spring and have been used in herbal medicine throughout history.
Read MoreCaring for Old Trees
Emily Ellis
Happy Arbor Day! While we love all trees, the large, elderly ones have a particularly important place in our hearts and our environment. Learn about different ways to care for them in our latest blogpost.
Read MoreOak Spring Planters
Emily Ellis
Celebrate National Garden Month by reading the stories behind several of Oak Spring’s iconic planters.
Read MoreFire Tree
Jessica White
Visit our blog to read Jessica White’s submission, ‘Fire Tree’, an essay about Western Australian botanist Georgiana Molloy’s (1805-1843) efforts to collect seeds from the Nuytsia floribunda tree. Jessica is currently working on an ecobiography of Molloy, From the Miniature to the Momentous.
Read MoreThe World's Most Poetic Plants
Emily Ellis
Plants like roses, ferns, and orchids have held far more attraction for history’s poets than other species, appearing time and again in verse. In celebration of National Poetry Month, explore our list of some of the world’s most poetic plants.
Read MoreThe Rememberers
Rachel Heng
Visit our blog to read Rachel Heng’s submission, ‘The Rememberers’, a short story about a daughter trying to stall the progress of her mother’s dementia in a future Singapore that is grappling with the implications of life behind a seawall. The story was first published in McSweeney’s Quarterly’s special climate fiction issue.
Read MoreThe Trees in You: Poems about the boundaries of self & other
Jenna van de Ruit
Her World: Visit our blog to read Jenna van de Ruit’s submission, “The Trees in You: Poems about the boundaries of self & other.”
10 Must-Read Women Nature Writers
Emily Ellis
To celebrate Women’s History Month and our new The World in Her Words series, we’ve compiled a list of ten must-read women writers whose work explores plants, nature and the environment, ranging from historical to contemporary.
Read MoreTrophic Cascade: Restoring My Connection to the Natural World
Phoebe McIlwain Bright
Her World: Visit our blog to read Phoebe McIlwain Bright’s submission, “Trophic Cascade: Restoring My Connection to the Natural World,” an essay about encountering wolves in Montana and human interactions with apex predators.
Read MoreConneaut
Catharina Coenen
Visit our blog to read Catharina Coenen’s submission, “Conneaut,” a meditation on names and place in the Pennsylvania wilderness. This piece was originally published in The Split Rock Review.
Read MoreBattling Invasive Plant Species
OSGF
In honor of Invasive Species Awareness week, members of our Arboriculture, Conservation, and Landscapes team discuss some of the methods they use to combat these pervasive plants.
Read MoreThe World's Sexiest Plants (Part II)
Emily Ellis
From aphrodisiacs, to deceptive orchids, to flowers that have an uncanny resemblance to our anatomy, plants have an undeniable allure. Celebrate Valentine’s Day by reading our 2021 list of the World's Sexiest Plants.
Read MoreAlice Ball and the Chaulmoogra Tree
Emily Ellis
To celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we’re sharing the story of chemist Alice Ball, whose work with the chaulmoogra tree brought about history’s first viable treatment for leprosy.
Read MoreFantastic Orchids
Emily Ellis
To celebrate the opening of “Orchids: Attraction and Deception” at the Barry Art Museum, we wrote about several fascinating orchids species that are featured in the illustrations we loaned to the exhibition.
Read MoreImmune-Boosting Plants
OSGF
Looking to give your immune system a boost this cold and flu season? In this blogpost, we explore the histories and uses of several amazing immune-boosting plants grown at our Biocultural Conservation Farm (recipes included!)
Read MoreReading Peach Tree Lane
Emily Ellis
Ecologist Michael Gaige, the leader of OSGF’s “Reading the Landscape” short course, takes us for a walk down Peach Tree Lane (the old carriage road that leads to the Main Residence), pointing out unique features along the historic path.
Read MoreA Botanical Legend: William Curtis and his Botanical Magazine
Emily Ellis
Read about William Curtis, born on this day in 1746, and his legendary botanical magazine.
Read MoreHelping Birds Through the Winter
Emily Ellis
To celebrate National Bird Day, we’re highlighting a few simple ways you can make your yard or garden a haven for birds this winter.
Read MoreForaging for Holiday Décor
Emily Ellis
Gathering winter greenery to use in holiday decorations is a longstanding tradition at Oak Spring. Read the stories behind some of the plants we use in our traditional wreaths.
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