July 2018

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OSGF is dedicated to engaging people in the world of plants. www.osgf.org View this email in your browser July 2018 Our Living Landscape. Human activity shapes the form and well-being of the land that surrounds us. Reciprocally, the landscape shapes us by providing food, healing, and inspiration. With summer in full swing, we are working harder than ever to utilize the gifts afforded to OSGF, while also approaching our work with an eye for long-term sustainability and growth. Read below to see some of our recent and ongoing activities in our garden, Library, and beyond. Sustaining the Landscape. With 700 acres of land, we aim to be thoughtful, innovative, and sustainable in the ways we manage our property. This means conducting projects that solve multiple problems at once, like using our ponds as wetland nurseries. All of these efforts come from a place of understanding the land's ecological and human histories. You can read a thorough report on 263 of our acres in "An Oak Spring Landscape." You can also read a feature in Middleburg Life Magazine about OSGF's land management plans for our newly-acquired tract of land: Rokeby. Our Convenings. Oak Spring continues to serve as an ideal venue to host conferences and programs that propel the growth of individuals, organizations, and disciplines. Read about our recent convenings here > Garden to Table. Our garden isn't just beautiful, it is productive. We have made a major effort this summer to utilize more of the produce from our gardens in our kitchen. Read more about our garden-to-table project > Oak Spring Herbaria. We have made the first of the Oak Spring Garden Library's four discursive catalogues available for free online. You can flip through the pages, view the beautiful images, and search for keywords and phrases throughout the entire volume. It is yet another step in our ongoing efforts to make the Library's collections available and accessible to those who can learn from and be inspired by them. View the volume here > July Bouquet The July arrangement from Robert Furber's (1674 – 1756) "Twelve Months of Flowers” includes some 32 plant species, one among them labeled “Virginian Yellow Jasmine” (5). Gelsemium sempervirens–– better known as Carolina Jessamine, Yellow Jasmine, or Woodbine–– is a flowering vine that can be found anywhere from the southeastern United States to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. All parts of the plant are understood to be poisonous if eaten. However, Gelsemium sempervirens was once used medicinally for treating migraines, muscular rheumatism and other afflictions. Looking closer at the Carolina Jessamine here reminds us that flowers are often more than just pleasing-to-the-eye or aromatic. Their uses go far beyond aesthetics. In the Furber bouquet, Carolina Jessamine springs between a “Painted Lady Carnation” (6) and “Prince Picoté July Flower” (3).   Copyright © 2016 Oak Spring Garden Foundation, All rights reserved.

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