Overview: Join Holly and the OSGF Horticulture staff to learn more about the spring-flowering herbaceous plants at the heart of Bunny Mellon’s private garden. Heirloom cultivars and unusual species favored by Mrs. Mellon grow alongside modern selections, creating a seasonal tapestry of color and texture. We’ll cover the best of the spring-blooming perennials, cool-season annuals, colorful geophytes, pollinator attractors, and tender glasshouse specialties, along with plenty of maintenance tips. One of the unique aspects of the garden is that Mrs. Mellon favored reseeding plants – we’ll discuss how the current gardeners nurture (and control) this abundance. The garden of Little Oak Spring has a wide diversity of soil types, exposures, and micro-climates so you’re sure to discover wonderful plants able to thrive in your own garden environment. Learning about herbaceous plants doesn’t stop with the garden; the course also includes a behind-the-scenes tour of the production greenhouse, the cut flower garden, and a visit to Mrs. Mellon’s astounding library devoted to plant science, botanical art, and natural history. Another benefit of this course is the involvement of Allissa Montgomery, Head of Horticulture at the formal garden. She shares Mrs. Mellon’s gardening style and legacy and how today’s horticulture staff honors that legacy while keeping her love of experimentation and change alive. Prepare to be inspired!
This is a hybrid course: two online (Zoom) lectures will provide a foundation and resources to set the stage, including the garden's history and design; then we’ll gather on-site for two-plus delightful days of learning.
Instructor: Holly Scoggins, Ph.D., is Associate Professor Emeritus from Virginia Tech. She recently retired after 20 years in the Department of Horticulture with teaching, research, cooperative extension, and administrative responsibilities. Her current role is Program Manager for NewGen Boxwood, the national brand and subsidiary of Saunders Brothers Inc. – a large grower of quality ornamentals in central Virginia. Holly earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Georgia and her Ph.D. in Horticultural Science from North Carolina State University. In her career at Virginia Tech, Holly taught Greenhouse Management, Herbaceous Landscape Plants, Ornamental Plant Production and Marketing, and Plant Propagation, and advised countless undergrads. Her research and extension programs focused on propagating, producing, and using perennials and annuals in landscapes. Additional work included cut-flower production, pollinator plant evaluation, and field-grown hops.
As Director of the Hahn Horticulture Garden at Virginia Tech from 2002 to 2014, she oversaw its expansion from 1.5 to 7 acres of teaching and outreach gardens and the construction of the Peggy Lee Hahn Garden Pavilion. Holly served as President of the Perennial Plant Association (2021-2023) and now serves as treasurer of the Perennial Plant Foundation. Her passion for teaching and research has earned her honors including Professional of the Year from the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association, the Academic Award and Service Award from the national Perennial Plant Association, and multiple teaching awards. She enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for horticulture at state, regional, and national gardening and professional conferences and symposia. Holly and her husband live and garden near Blacksburg in southwest Virginia.
Eligibility: This course is intended for landscape professionals, experienced home gardeners, public horticulturists, and horticulture or design students and educators. It is not suitable for beginning gardeners.
The course is limited to 12 participants. Mostly outdoors, the course` involves moderate physical activity, including walking and standing/observing. Be prepared for a range of weather conditions.
Since Holly’s first offering in summer 2023, both the spring and summer courses (and format) continue to sell out.
“Appreciated the amount of time given to being in the walled garden to really understand the construction and placement of the plants”
“Thank you for the opportunity to learn, to meet new people and to experience the amazing Oak Spring gardens and property”
“What an incredible experience- one I'll never forget, thanks to your expertise, Holly, the company of my fellow attendees, and the hospitality and invaluable experience of the OSGF team!”
“Wonderfully informative and fun workshop. It exceeded all my expectations!!”
"The Zoom presentations set the stage and had even greater impact after being on-site for 2 days"
About OSGF: The Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) is an operating foundation based on the former estate of Paul and Rachel ‘Bunny’ Mellon, two of the major U.S. philanthropists of the second half of the twentieth century. OSGF is located in the northern Virginia Piedmont and Blue Ridge Mountains region (ca. one-hour drive from Washington, D.C.). Led by Sir Peter Crane, the Foundation’s inaugural President, OSGF supports fellowships and residencies for artists and scholars, offers short courses, and engages its multiple audiences, including its local community in practical horticulture, as well as land stewardship for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity. OSGF is rapidly becoming a new center of excellence and stimulation for all things botanical, from fundamental research in plant evolution, to horticulture and plant conservation, as well as the history and contemporary practice of plant, garden and landscape art.
Accommodation and Travel Information: Participants will be accommodated with all meals and private lodging on site at Oak Spring. Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel to the Washington, D.C. area. If flying, please book flights to Dulles International Airport. International applicants are welcome, but fluency in English is necessary. Closer to the start date, our Programs team will assist with coordinating travel arrangements to the Oak Spring Garden Foundation site, as necessary.
Dates and Duration: The on-site portion of the course runs for two (2) days with participants arriving on Monday, April 5, 2027 and leaving on Wednesday, April 7, 2027. Participants should plan to arrive between 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM on Monday, April 5, 2027 and depart around 1:30 PM on Wednesday, April 7, 2027.
Course Fee: $1000 is all-inclusive and covers full tuition, lodging on-site for two nights in our comfortable suites, and all meals on-site (from dinner on Monday through lunch on Wednesday). A limited number of full or partial Fee Waivers are available for this course.
Selection Process: Applications will be reviewed by Holly Scoggins and OSGF staff.
Application Deadline: Applications are due Tuesday, February , 2027 at 11:59 PM EST.
Program Testimonials
“The knowledge I received during the [course] immediately inspired me to apply it to my gardens and business in a practical way. After visiting behind the scenes at Oak Spring, the production side was just as ordered and maintained as the pleasure gardens.”
“I found the combination of online lectures and on-site experiences to be particularly engaging and enriching. Exploring Bunny Mellon’s private garden was undoubtedly a highlight, especially delving into the on-going management of diverse plant types and placements aligned with Mrs. Mellon’s passed-down and memorialized preferences.”
The Oak Spring Garden Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. Decisions are made on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or any other non-merit factor.