Join horticulturalist and plant historian Sara van Beck for a deep dive into history of daffodils in Virginia.

Overview: Virginians and daffodils have a long history, if on occasion a bit of a dubious one. The glory of having one’s favorite flower on an early colonists’ ship has enticed writers, both northern and southern, to confabulate “just so” stories long on romance, but short on proof. Be that as it may, daffodils do appear in colonial era garden journals, correspondence and, best of all, in a few garden remnants.

Join horticulturalist and plant historian Sara Van Beck for a deep dive into the tantalizing tale of the regional promience of daffodils. Happily, daffodils maintained a presence in Virginians’ gardens through the Victorian era into the early twentieth century, contributing to the establishment of daffodils as a commercial bulb crop. Notably, the Garden Club of Virginia’s 1924 seminal effort Historic Gardens of Virginia helped cement daffodils as worthy garden flower, past and future. Combined, these narratives and social influences encapsulate the broad history of daffodils in American gardens, as seen in the verdant gardens of Virginia.

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.