Overview: Join Holly and the Horticulture Staff of OSGF for a deep dive into the spring-flowering herbaceous plants at the heart of Bunny Mellon’s private garden. The talented garden staff blends the heirloom cultivars and unusual species utilized by Bunny with 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 Bunny 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.
This is a hybrid course: two online (Zoom) lectures will provide a foundation and resources to set the stage; then we’ll gather on-site for two delightful days of learning in the garden. The course includes a special behind-the-scenes tour of the production greenhouse, the cut flower garden, and a visit to her astounding library devoted to plant science, botanical art, and natural history. Prepare to be inspired!
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 the propagation, production, and landscape use of perennials and annuals. 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. Her passion for teaching and research has been recognized with honors including Professional of the Year from the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association, the Academic Award from the National Perennial Plant Association, and multiple teaching awards.
Holly served as President of the Perennial Plant Association (2021-2023) and now serves as Past President. She enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for horticulture at state, regional, and national gardening and professional conferences and symposia. Because she does not have quite enough horticulture in her life, Holly and her husband run Bee Berry Farm, a you-pick blueberry farm and apiary (with way too many perennial borders) in southwest Virginia.
Eligibility: This course is intended for experienced home gardeners, public horticulturists, landscape professionals, students, and educators. It is not suitable for beginning gardeners. The course will accept up to a maximum of 12 participants.
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 Tuesday, April 15, 2025 and leaving on Thursday, April 17, 2025. Participants should plan to arrive between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 and depart around 2:00pm on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
Course Fee: $750 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 Tuesday through lunch on Friday). 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 Monday, December 23, 2024 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.”