Public Gardens as a Resource for the Horticulture Industry

By Timothy Ohlwiler, Extension Agent – Horticulture Virginia Cooperative Extension Fauquier County Office

Public gardens are a treasure for our communities, and the State Arboretum of Virginia at Blandy Experimental Farm in Boyce is one of the crown jewels. Sometimes called Blandy, for short, the State Arboretum provides many benefits to the horticulture industry as well as the general public. Public Gardens are a place of inspiration for those in the horticulture industry as well as our clients. A public garden is a place of formal and informal education, and gardens are often places for research. As with many outdoor spaces, they can aid our personal health, especially in stressful times, and a public garden can increase awareness and appreciation for horticulture. Many public gardens are called arboreta or botanic gardens, but many are gardens at historic sites. The following are five ways the State Arboretum of Virginia and other public gardens serve the horticulture industry in Virginia.

Researchers are testing hundreds of chestnut hybrids to see if they can find trees that are resistant to chestnut blight. This disease camethrough the eastern United States in the early 1900’s and killed almostall of the chestnuts in Appalachia from Maine to Georgia. Photo by TimOhlwiler

1. Inspiration – A grand public garden is often a place of inspiration and ideas. There are ideas to be taken to work and home after a visit — the knowledge of a new plant combination or something to share with a coworker. It can also be a place of inspiration and new ideas for clients. Finding a place in a public garden that mirrors the climatic, soil and water requirements of a garden of a client can help to develop ideas for a difficult situation. The ideas for plants are wonderful, but also design, hardscape elements, and garden structures are often an attractive piece of a botanical garden or public arboretum. The woodland wildflower walk and the raised herb garden at The State Arboretum are sources of inspiration.

The Quarters with its iconic arches and cupula is the heart of the State Arboretum of Virginia. The Quarters served as residence for theenslaved at a nearby estate, today it holds offices and a gift shop forBlandy. Photo by James R. Emmett

2. Education – Many public gardens are also a place for formal and informal education that can serve the horticulture industry as well as the public at large. Blandy is no exception. There are classes and tours, and often there are labels on plants to help visitors learn. The best growing conditions and light requirements for the plants in the gardens are often highlighted. Brochures and maps are the source of additional information. Many times, plants are placed in collections. This makes it easy to compare size, color, and growing habit of the 162 boxwood cultivars in Blandy’s collection. Often trees and shrubs are labeled with the year they were planted, so seeing how large a plant can get is also helpful.

Tansy blooms in the foreground and Graham Blandy Boxwood frame the entrance to the herb garden at Blandy Experimental Farm, home to theState Arboretum of Virginia. Photo by Tim Ohlwiler

3. Research – The State Arboretum of Virginia, like many public gardens, is also a place of research. The Arboretum hosts research projects for many researchers as well as graduate students each summer. For example, The State Arboretum is a collaborating partner to research new chestnut hybrids that may be resistant to the deadly chestnut blight. Several of the researchers at Blandy are focused on beneficial insects and pollinators. Many public gardens contain a library where information on plants can be gleaned. Researchers and volunteers often participate in citizen science projects such as recording the dates plants first bloom and counting the number of butterflies on a given day each year.

4. Health – Being outdoors, not at work, can be a place to relax, lower the blood pressure, calm the nerves and quiet the mind. Finding a quiet space at the State Arboretum is easy to do in this large petfriendly environment. It can also be a place for exercise or to engage in a hobby like painting or photography. Many public gardens have similar opportunities.

5. Horticulture – A public garden is a celebration of horticulture and they often have many ways to invite the community to come and experience plants. There are often concerts or book clubs or art exhibits that don’t have much to do with plants per se, but they invite the community to come and share the joy of plants that those in the horticulture world already know so well.

Experience the joy of horticulture in the community spaces of a public garden or arboretum. Find some inspiration among the unique plants and engage in the educational and research opportunities at a public garden. Whether publicly funded or maintained by a non-profit foundation, let the gardens improve your health and wellbeing. Find a public garden near home and go for the first time or return to see what is new.

Facts about The State Arboretum of Virginia

• 172 Acres of the 700-acre Blandy Experimental Farm

• Donated by Graham E. Blandy to the University of Virginia in 1926

• 1300 species of conifer

• Open daily from dawn to dusk all year round

• Cost of admission – free

• Orland E. White was the first director and came from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

• Home base for Virginia Native Plant Society

Public Gardens in Virginia

1. Carrier Arboretum – Harrisonburg

2. Chatham Manor – Fredericksburg

3. Chesapeake Arboretum – Chesapeake

4. Colonial Williamsburg Gardens – Williamsburg

5. Green Spring Garden – Alexandria

6. Gunston Hall Gardens – Lorton

7. Hahn Horticulture Garden – Blacksburg

8. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden – Richmond

9. Maymont Park – Richmond

10. Meadowlark Botanical Garden – Vienna

11. Monticello Garden – Charlottesville

12. Montpelier Garden – Orange13. Mt. Vernon – Alexandria

14. Museum of Shenandoah – Winchester

15. Norfolk Botanical Garden – Norfolk

16. Oatlands – Leesburg, VA

17. Old City Cemetery – Lynchburg, VA

18. Pagoda and Oriental Garden – Norfolk

19. Prestwould Plantation and Gardens – Clarksville

20. River Farm – Alexandria

21. State Arboretum of Virginia – Boyce