Horticulture

December 16, 2021

Chairman Fran Boninti, Rivanna Garden Club

June 2004 Horticulture Field Day in Suffolk and Virginia Beach offered two days of garden inspiration. The Pinkham garden, six acres situated on the James River, felt Asian with weeping Junipers and Japanese maples interspersed with unusual fastigiated and contorted horticulture specimens. The sunken pond at the Campbell garden was surrounded by giant live oaks, and a waterfall splashed over a dry stacked stone wall that covered the remains of an ancient sand dune. The formal courtyard entrance at the Houfek garden led to a series of lush garden rooms adjoining the golf course. The terraced hillside Malloy garden featured native trees and shrubs, with limbed up bayberries and hollies posing as sentries. An 1840s house was the centerpiece of the expansive Ritter property, situated on a magnificent bayside bluff. Huge white oaks shaded the gardens that were bordered with pastel hydrangeas. The small Henley garden was pure delight with topiaries and unusual plant material. The creative Briggs garden on Lake Wesley used mirrors behind a picket fence to enlarge the space and provide privacy.

September 19, 2004, Horticulture Workshop at the Kent-Valentine House featured speaker Linda Pinkham on her visit to English gardens and the Chelsea Flower Show; Jim Murphy on daylillies; and Kathi Marshall on setting up and preparing a horticulture exhibit.

October 2004 BOG Horticulture Exhibit in Front Royal, “Berried Trees and Shrubs Other than Hollies,” called for a display of three different berried branches in clear glass containers, including one paragraph showing at least one of the specimens in the landscape, to include common and botanical names, growing conditions, propagation, usefulness in garden, and interesting facts.

May 2005 Annual Meeting Horticulture Exhibit in Newport News highlighted the available options for providing habitat for backyard birds via trees, shrubs, grasses or flowers.  Three specimens, beneficial to birds, were displayed in a clear glass container no taller than 18” with information on how these plants are used by the birds.

June 2005 Horticulture Field Day in Lynchburg featured a tour of Old City Cemetery, a horticultural delight featuring hundreds of antique roses that have been lovingly restored to their full glory. Point of Honor, the beautifully restored Federal mansion built in 1815 by Dr. George Cabell, revealed a small rectangular rear garden that was filled with perennials and bulbs, designed to create interest throughout the spring, summer and fall. The Massie garden reflected the artistic owner where beautiful plantings mingled to create a soft and pleasing palette that soothes the soul. The ever-blooming Hunt gardens featured diverse plant material, textures and color. The perennial gardens and garden rooms were enhanced by a backdrop of rose-covered stone walls, a beautiful pond and fountain with an expansive view of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. The classic pergola located off the back terrace was surrounded by white-blooming plant material designed to glow at night. The Hickman garden included native and exotic trees, camellias, wildflowers, an herb garden, an orchard of historic apples and other fruit, and a woodland garden with daffodils. The Connors garden sported a wonderful collection of Camellia of every size, shape, color and season, some soaring up to 20 feet. The Giles hillside gardens showcased beautiful landscaping around the pool, continuing down the hillside with winding paths of rhododendrons, ferns, azaleas and Lenten roses. The shade garden featured native trees, shrubs and plants. The Christian garden featured a beautifully landscaped and terraced formal garden. Old English boxwoods formed the backdrop for delightful perennials and a variety of bulbs. Large, beautiful plantings graced the curved entrance to the Rosser garden that sat beside a golf course and featured a lakeside vista. From the wisteria covered porches to the carefully laid-out beds, the Piggot garden was an absolute delight with new horticultural specimens nestled among old, familiar ones.  The expansive grounds surrounding the Van Allen historic farmhouse revealed a variety of gardens scattered about, including a secret garden with a high stone wall for protection from wildlife and a wonderful perennial lakeside garden.  Photos

September 19, 2005, Horticulture Workshop at the Kent-Valentine House featured speaker Don Hyatt, a nationally known authority on azaleas and rhododendrons. He has served on the national boards of both the Azalea Society of America (ASA) and the American Rhododendron Society (ARS). Mr. Hyatt presented a slide lecture of his favorite plants. Afterward, Betty Steele and Bettie Guthrie of the Petersburg Club gave their presentation, “With Paintbrush and Shovel.” Photos

October 2005 BOG Horticulture Exhibit in Ashland, “Plants Your Grandmother Would Know and Grow,” called for a display of three different plants of choice introduced before 1950, exhibited in clear glass containers and included common and botanical name, description, growing conditions, propagation and era of plant.

May 2006 Annual Meeting Horticulture Exhibit in Charlottesville, “Our Gardens through the Eye of the Camera,” provided an educational photography exhibit of members’ gardens.