Oak Spring Garden Foundation

A May Day basket created by Assistant Gardener Jordan Long brightens the garden gate on an overcast day. The basket includes boxwood (buxus,) ninemark (physocarpus,) lilac (syringa,) African daisies (osteospermum,) forget-me-not (myosotis,) veronica (veronica gentianoides,) ornamental onion (allium,) geum “petticoats,” woodland phlox (phlox divaricata), and ghost fern.

Blue Parrot tulips, epimedium, and lavender pansies fill the bed at the base of Poncirus trifoliata, the Hardy Orange tree, in the Upper Terrace.

This pelargonium arrangement in the formal greenhouse was created by assistant gardener Allissa Montgomery, who was inspired by an 1829 illustration in the Oak Spring Garden Library collection.

90 percent of Pelargonium species originate in South Africa. This delightful collection not only reflects artwork from Mrs. Mellon's library, but her love of this genus and other plants from South Africa which she tended in her glasshouse.

Through careful planning, the Square garden has offered color and blooms to visitors since the beginning of March when early dwarf daffodils joined blue pansies to welcome the spring. White and yellow mid-season tulips followed. Tulips 'Ballade' and 'Queen of the Night' are now fading as late blooming Camassia leichtlinii 'Caerulea' and Allium 'Gladiator' wrap up the show.

Elegant Tulips 'Merlot' and 'Very Chic' dance above Narcissus 'Yellow Cheerfulness' in the tea bed. The cool temperatures this spring encouraged a long and lovely display.

A fox cub peeks out from its den on Rokeby.

Newly hatched eastern bluebirds found in one of OSGF’s nesting boxes.

Carrots grown at the Biocultural Conservation Farm, getting ready to be delivered to local food banks.

Dandelion seed heads glow in the setting sun in the rich meadows at Oak Spring. Although Dandelions may annoy us in our lawns, the seeds are enjoyed by a range of songbirds including chipping, field, house, song and white throated sparrows; American goldfinches and indigo buntings.

Five barn owl eggs discovered in one of the silos.

The blooms of the Mary Potter crabapples in the allee, pollinated by hundreds of bees from our on site hives, are setting fruit that will feed birds throughout the winter season.

A path of clover cutting through the wildflower meadow.

In the spring, Mrs. Mellon tucked Sweet alyssum into pockets in the paving stones of terraces here at Oak Spring. This technique was used in many gardens she designed for others as well and is a signature of her unique style. As spring leads to summer, drought loving herbs like thyme and Artemesia replace the Alyssum, providing fragrance as guests walk through the space.

Iberis, Primrose and Blue Frost pansies, and species tulips are on display from the Gallery window.

Cool blue accents of Muscari armeniacum and 'Valerie Finnis' peep through Mexican Feather grass in the Pollinator Garden. Ivory Floradale and Shogun tulips, and Frittilaria persica add vertical height.