Overview:
Virginians and daffodils share a rich, though sometimes questionable, history. The allure of having one’s beloved flower aboard early colonial ships has inspired both northern and southern writers to craft tales, long on romance, but short on proof. Despite this, daffodils do make appearances in colonial era garden journals, letters, and—most compellingly—within the remnants of early gardens.
Join horticulturist and plant historian Sara Van Beck as she explores the fascinating history of daffodils in Virginia. Delve into how these flowers maintained a presence in Virginian gardens from the colonial period through the Victorian era and into the early twentieth century. This enduring legacy played a significant role in the establishment of daffodils as a key commercial bulb crop. Highlighting the pivotal 1924 publication Historic Gardens of Virginia by the Garden Club of Virginia, which helped solidify the daffodil’s status as a cherished garden flower, this lecture will illuminate how the story of daffodils in Virginia reflects broader trends in American gardening history.
Please note, this event will take place on the Rokeby Farm portion of OSGF and will not include a tour of the library, formal garden, or main residence.
Tickets: $30
About Oak Spring Garden Foundation: The Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) is a philanthropic foundation based at the former primary estate of the late Paul and Rachel Mellon, who were major philanthropists in the U.S. of the arts, humanities, and sciences in 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 provides workshops, short courses and supports residencies for artists and scholars. Its celebrated Library comprises rare books, manuscripts and works of art relating to horticulture, landscape design, botany and natural history. It is becoming a new center of stimulation of all things botanical, from fundamental research in plant evolution and conservation, to horticultural and plant conservation practice, to the history and art of plants, gardens and landscapes.
Photo Release Statement
By attending this event, you consent to your likeness and image being used for ongoing promotional and marketing efforts.
Availability: Each lecture will be capped at 70 participants. Registrations will be accepted on a rolling basis through Eventbrite until full.
Header Image: Queen of the Netherlands - Courtesy of Sara Van Beck
About Sara Van Beck:
In the fall of 2001, Sara Van Beck transitioned from her role as a museum curator with the National Park Service to assist her father in completing a book on the cultivation of daffodils in Florida, based on his extensive gardening research. Though he passed away before the book’s completion, Sara, alongside her mother, Linda M. Van Beck, successfully finished and self-published Daffodils in Florida: A Field Guide to the Coastal South (2004). This endeavor sparked Sara’s enduring commitment to the study of daffodils and their historical significance in garden landscapes.
Over the years, Sara has held leadership positions with the Georgia Daffodil Society, served on the board of the Cherokee Garden Library, and contributed her expertise to the Historic Oakland Cemetery. Following the 2015 publication of Daffodils in American Gardens, 1933–1940, she was invited by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to serve as a corresponding member of the Narcissus Classification Advisory Group.
Currently, Sara serves as Chair of the Historics Committee of the American Daffodil Society (ADS), where she established the ADS Display Garden Program and moderates the committee’s listserv. She is also in the process of revising and expanding the Historics Handbook. In collaboration with the RHS, she is leading an international initiative to review and refine the classification system for Division 8 Tazetta daffodils, working closely with hybridizers worldwide.