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Tag: Colonial Williamsburg

  • Thursday, April 27 – Sunday, April 30 – Colonial Williamsburg 76th Annual Garden Symposium, Digging the Garden: Horticulture, History & Archaeology, Live and Online

    Colonial Williamsburg invites you to its 76th Annual Garden Symposium, Digging the Garden: Horticulture, History, & Archaeology, with Virtual and In-Person options, April 27 – 30, 2023.

    To gardeners and horticulturists soil is a fundamental element which influences the survival of a plant in the future. To archaeologists, soil is the very thing that holds the remains of the past. Digging in the soil is key both to gardening and to archaeology, which converge for Colonial Williamsburg’s 76th Annual Garden Symposium.

    Over the last several years, our archaeologists have dug up exciting discoveries at the site of Custis Square, home to John Custis IV (1678-1746), known by his contemporaries as a curious gardener whose ornamental garden was unparalleled in the American Colonies. This dig has expanded our understanding of not only the land, but the people, enslaved and free, who cultivated it.

    According to Thomas Jefferson, “No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden.” Here at Colonial Williamsburg our talented landscape staff strive to nurture this relationship as they work to balance historical practices within the needs of the contemporary environment.

    This year’s Garden Symposium will feature an opening Keynote on Thursday evening by English garden designer Lady Xa Tollemache, Gold and Silver winner at London’s Chelsea Flower Show, and creator of gardens at England’s stateliest houses. Author, renowned garden historian, and historic landscape consultant Mark Laird also joins us Thursday evening to discuss Virginia’s own Royal Governor Lord Botetourt and his English gardener Thomas Wright’s work at Botetourt’s Stoke Gifford.

    On Friday morning, we begin our focus from both an historical and ground up perspective with Colonial Williamsburg’s Director of Archaeology Jack Gary as he considers John Custis IV, the man and gardener, and the ongoing archaeological dig which provides the historic backdrop for this year’s symposium. Nationally recognized writer, speaker, radio and television personality Charlie Nardozzi continues the conversation, speaking on the necessity of soil for the modern gardener.

    Saturday morning, we are joined by Daria McKelvey (American Horticultural Society’s Emerging Horticultural Professional Award Winner and Supervisor, Kemper Centerfor Home Gardening at Missouri Botanical) who will highlight how to combat pests and disease in your garden. Author, speaker, garden and design consultant and Gold Medal Award Winner—Massachusetts Horticultural Society Kerry Mendez speaks to Inspired Garden Design and lessons learned. Finally, our renowned gardening experts join Colonial Williamsburg’s Director of Landscape Joanne Chapman on the stage for our Ask the Gardener Panel.

    Join notable horticulturists, archaeologists, historians, and guest experts as we examine best practices through an historical lens, using the past to inform the present and future, and take part in hands-on workshops and tours where you too can dig deep in our historic and iconic gardens. For registration links to both the in-person and virtual options, visit HERE.

  • Thursday, April 28 – Sunday, May 1 – Colonial Williamsburg’s 75th Annual Garden Symposium: Responsible Gardening – Sowing Seeds for a Bright Future, Live and Virtual

    This year’s theme is inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s quote, “To plant a garden is to believe in the tomorrow”. Now more than ever it is important that we, as gardeners, create healthy landscapes for all living creatures for the future of our planet. Join featured speakers Elizabeth Hope Cushing, P. Allen Smith, Matthew Benson, Rebecca Lindenmeyr, Brie Arthur, Renny Reynolds, and Colonial Williamsburg’s talented landscape staff as they commemorate 75 years of its celebrated Garden Symposium, and share methods and techniques for creating gardens that benefit humans and wildlife in an environment both beautiful and sustainable for years to come. Both virtual and in-person options for attendance are available. Visit www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/conferences for more information.

  • Wednesday, July 14, 1:00 pm – Great American Gardens: Monticello, Biltmore, Naumkeag, and More, Online

    Join garden historian and author Dr. Toby Musgrave online on a ‘Grand Tour’ showcasing America’s great and inspiring gardens, revealing their diversity and richness, and exploring their contribution to global garden art.

    We’ll explore a variety of gardens in a variety of locations and climates around the United States, each of which is open to the public and can be visited and experienced in person. From the eastern seaboard to the west coast; the cold, high Rockies to the tropical southeast; balmy California to hot, dry deserts; the warm, wet Pacific northwest to the Prairies and the cool northeast create the full spectrum of garden design possibilities. Ranging across historical periods and styles, we will visit well known (and lesser well-known) gardens around the country to reveal in broad terms the evolution of American garden design over time. Beginning with early Colonial gardens on the East Coast and Mission gardens in California, we will move on to English Landscape-style gardens and French Baroque influenced antebellum plantation gardens. As we move chronologically ahead, we will also study the opulence of the Beaux-Arts-inspired Country Place Era and how it evolved into the innovative “homegrown” styles such as Prairie Gardens. We will conclude with a look at modern and contemporary American garden design.

    Gardens featured include: Colonial Williamsburg, San Diego Mission, Mount Vernon, Monticello, Middleton Place, Rosedown Plantation, Biltmore, Dumbarton Oaks, Filoli, Innisfree, Longwood, Naumkeag, the Huntington Library, Untermeyer, Wave Hill, Longue Vue, Casa del Herro, J Irwin House and Garden, El Novillero, Lotusland, Sunnylands, Chanticleer, Chase Garden, Getty Centre, Hollister House and Windcliff.

    Led by an expert on gardens and garden history, Dr Toby Musgrave, this Context interactive seminar will showcase and celebrate America’s great and inspiring gardens. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased knowledge and understanding of America’s great garden heritage. $36.50. Register at www.contextlearning.com

    Dumbarton Oaks (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

  • Friday, April 26 – Sunday, April 28 – 73rd Annual Garden Symposium at Colonial Williamsburg

    The evolution of any garden happens naturally or at the whim of our own mind and hands. Whether you’re starting from scratch or renovating an existing garden that has lost its character, it’s almost always desirable to work with a plan. Even the most well-intentioned efforts result in disappointment when approached without a cohesive design strategy. Learn how to create harmonious gardens that sing with creativity, as well as those that reflect personal expression and reverence for design fundamentals. Guest speakers at the 73rd Annual Garden Symposium at Colonial Williamsburg on April 26 – 28 will discuss how to integrate existing elements, effectively combine plants and hardscape materials, and create features of distinctive landscape styles. If you are currently undecided about your own future gardens or simply ready for a refreshing renovation to existing ones, this symposium is for you!

    This year’s theme of design recalls the title of Colonial Williamsburg’s magazine, Trend and Tradition, focusing our attention on how gardeners blend the old and the new to great effect in a variety of spaces. Gardens provide people with beautiful places of respite, and the art of designing and caring for them constantly evolves. While mixing tried-and-true traditions with new trends can make a space shine, it’s important to consider the latest innovations within the context of longstanding best practices, understanding why they have withstood the test of time. Experts with a breadth of knowledge in growing food, providing wildlife cover, making smart plant choices and cleverly utilizing small spaces are here to help.

    Throughout the two-and-a-half-day Garden Symposium, nationally known experts on garden design and maintenance, including some of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s own landscape and nursery staff, will lead a wide variety of sessions. Guest speakers will discuss how to rehabilitate an old space, create a pet-friendly oasis for your four-legged friends and design the perfect garden to enhance its ecosystem and help the flora truly thrive. This symposium is perfect for those new to gardening or seasoned professionals—there’s something for everyone!

    ** Shuttle service will be provided between the property hotels, Lane Auditorium,  First Street in Williamsburg, and Historic Area for those who do not wish to drive. Register at www.colonialwilliamsburg.com

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  • Saturday, April 14 and Sunday, April 15 – 72nd Annual Garden Symposium at Colonial Williamsburg

    The evolution of any garden happens naturally or at the whim of our own mind and hands. Whether you’re starting from scratch or renovating an existing garden that has lost its character, it’s almost always desirable to work with a plan. Even the most well-intentioned efforts result in disappointment when approached without a cohesive design strategy. Learn how to create harmonious gardens that sing with creativity, as well as those that reflect personal expression and reverence for design fundamentals. Guest speakers at this year’s Annual Garden Symposium at Colonial Williamsburg on April 14 and 15 will discuss how to integrate existing elements, effectively combine plants and hardscape materials, and create features of distinctive landscape styles. If you are currently undecided about your own future gardens or simply ready for a refreshing renovation to existing ones, this symposium is for you!

    Featured speakers are freelance writer Linda Askey of Birmingham, Alabama, Andrew Bunting, Assistant Director and Director of Plant Collection at the Chicago Botanical Garden, author Troy Marden, author and photographer Pam Beck of Wake Forest, North Carolina, Julie Moir Messervy of Vermont, Associate Professor Emeritus Robert McDuffie of Virginia Tech, and Rollin Woolley, retired landscape supervisor at Colonial Williamsburg.

    Special rates are available at the Colonial Williamsburg Hotels for conference registrants. Rates listed at https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/learn/conferences/garden-symposium are single or double occupancy per night and do not include applicable taxes. Mention the conference or use Booking Code 541202 to obtain the discount rates. Confirm your reservation by calling 1-800-261-9530, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. (ET).

    Register online or via telephone by calling 1-800-603-0940, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. ET.

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  • Thursday, November 17, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – The Festive Table

    Join the Massachusetts Horticultural Society on Thursday, November 17 from 1 – 3 at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street for a workshop on The Festive Table with Betsy Williams, just in time for your Thanksgiving and holiday entertaining. Betsy Williams teaches, lectures and writes about living with herbs and flowers. A life long gardener, herb grower and cook, Betsy trained as a florist in Boston and England. She combines her floral, gardening and cooking skills with an extensive knowledge of history, plant lore and seasonal celebrations. An entertaining lecturer, she weaves stories and legends throughout her informative talks and demonstrations.

    She has presented at Monticello, The American Horticultural Society’s Youth Symposium, the Pennsylvania Lavender Festival and International Herb Association as well as Colonial Williamsburg, the Ozark Folk Center and the New England, Rhode Island and Cincinnati Flower Shows. $25 for Mass Hort members, $40 for nonmembers.  Register at http://www.masshort.org/adult-education

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  • Thursday, November 12, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Prepping for the Holidays

    Learn how to select and use fresh fruits and vegetables from the supermarket, woody herbs from your garden and locally grown evergreens and berries to decorate your home for Thanksgiving and the Winter Holidays. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society talk on Thursday, November 12 from 7 – 8:30 will cover gathering, preparing and using seasonal plant material as well as mechanics and containers. Two arrangements will be demonstrated

    Betsy Williams teaches, lectures and writes about living with herbs and flowers. A life long gardener, herb grower and cook, Betsy trained as a florist in Boston and England. She combines her floral, gardening and cooking skills with an extensive knowledge of history, plant lore and seasonal celebrations. An entertaining lecturer, she weaves stories and legends throughout her informative talks and demonstrations.

    She has presented at Monticello, The American Horticultural Society’s Youth Symposium, the Pennsylvania Lavender Festival and International Herb Association as well as Colonial Williamsburg, the Ozark Folk Center and the New England, Rhode Island and Cincinnati Flower Shows.  Image from www.prestonbailey.com.

    Lecture Fee: Mass Hort Members $10, Non-Members $15. Register online at http://www.masshort.org/Thursday-Night-at-the-Hort/

  • Friday, April 10 – Sunday, April 12 – Colonial Williamsburg 69th Garden Symposium: Layers of the Living Landscape

    Planting in layers allows gardeners to take full advantage of their space and include a diversity of plants that provide beauty and benefit wildlife.  The Colonial Williamsburg 69th Garden Symposium, co-sponsored with the American Horticultural Society Friday, April 10 – Sunday, April 12, includes presentations by Rick Darke and Douglas W. Tallamy, authors of The Living Landscape, and two of the most important voices in sustainability and horticulture.  For full information on fees, lodging, and transportation, visit www.history.org/conted, or call 1-800-603-0948.

  • Wednesday, December 3, 6:00 pm – Arthur Shurcliff: From Boston to Colonial Williamsburg

    Join historian and author Elizabeth Hope Cushing on Wednesday, December 3, at 6 pm in the Hunnewell Building at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, as she speaks of landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff’s early work in Boston and how this led to Colonial Williamsburg, his largest and most significant contribution to American landscape architecture.

    In 1928, the landscape architect and preservationist Arthur A. Shurcliff (1870–1957) began what became one of the most important examples of the American Colonial Revival landscape—Colonial Williamsburg. But before this, Shurcliff honed his skills in Boston. An 1894 engineering graduate of MIT with an interest in landscape design, Shurcliff, on the advice of Frederick Law Olmsted and with the aid of his mentor, Charles Eliot, pieced together courses at Harvard College, the Lawrence Scientific School, and the Bussey Institute. He then spent eight years working in the Olmsted office, acquiring a broad and sophisticated knowledge of the profession. Opening his own practice in 1904, Shurcliff emphasized his expertise in town planning, preparing plans for towns surrounding Boston. He designed recreational spaces that Bostonians still enjoy today, including significant aspects of the Franklin Park Zoo and the Charles River Esplanade. Historian Elizabeth Hope Cushing will speak of Shurcliff’s early work in Boston and how this led to Colonial Williamsburg, his largest and most significant contribution to American landscape architecture.  Fee Free, but registration requested. You may register on line at https://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?DayPlanner=1381&DayPlannerDate=12/3/2014. Seating is limited. A reception will follow the lecture.

    The Esplanade Association is please to be a co-sponsor of this event along with the Library of American Landscape History, Boston Society of Landscape Architects, Friends of Fairsted, the and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.

  • Saturday, April 5 – Monday, April 7 – Colonial Williamsburg Garden Symposium

    More and more people are appreciating the health-giving benefits of active gardening and of raising their own home-grown organic produce —from sweet scented herbs to succulent fruit and vegetables. The treasures we American gardeners produce when we grow organic food and work with our hands have value beyond our personal needs, and help to support the growth of resilient communities that can better resist the pressures of modern life. Guest speakers and Colonial Williamsburg staff will share their expertise on the concept, design, maintenance, and pleasures of organic gardening and living lightly — from the ground up. Topics include brewing beer, fragrance, garden-to-table meals, herbs, heritage breeds, natural dyes, and more!  The conference is scheduled to take place April 5 – 7 in Williamsburg, Virginia.

    Co-sponsored by the American Horticultural Society and Organic Gardening. Airport Transportation information and registration information may be found at www.colonialwilliamsburg.com.

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