News & Announcements
August 29, 2022
Sick plant at home? Want help with a diagnosis?
August 22, 2022
Join us for the Butterflies in your Backyard program Saturday, August 27th from 10:00-11:30 to learn all about native butterflies!
It’s back-to-school time, and Blandy’s environmental education team has some book recommendations that encourage scientific exploration, discovery, and stewardship of our natural world.
There are plenty of ways to incorporate learning about the environment outside of the classroom! Teachers who are eager to ensure their students experience outdoor, science-based learning can schedule PK-12 field investigations at Blandy for the fall. For more information on these programs, view our catalog and request a program registration here.
July 18, 2022
Blandy’s Ginkgo Grove attracts thousands of visitors each fall – many of whom are visiting Blandy for the first time.
Milkweed is the sole host plant for the caterpillars of the beautiful, threatened monarch butterfly and efforts to preserve this butterfly have brought this once overlooked plant into the public consciousness.
June 1, 2022
The State Arboretum of Virginia has named the American Sycamore as its 2022 Tree of the Year. The sycamore was selected for its value as one of the largest trees in the eastern U.S.
June 2, 2022
Summertime is a great time to take advantage of a program, workshop or walk at Blandy!
More than 300 gardens participate in the Reciprocal Admissions Program (RAP) with the American Horticulture Association. One of the benefits of your current FOSA membership is special admission privileges and discounts at participating gardens throughout North America.
May 27, 2022
As the temperature warms up and things start blooming, are you itching to visit some of the beautiful gardens around your home or while you’re travelling?
With a breathtakingly beautiful view of the Native Plant Trail meadow and the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Peetwood Pavilion for Environmental Education has become one of the most popular locations at
February 2, 2022
Update: This StoryWalk® was removed at the end of February. Stay tuned for more seasonal StoryWalks® in the future!
April 1, 2022
Take a "Hot Chocolate Hike" or try "Birding for Beginners" at Blandy! Registration is open for our popular Winter/Spring workshops, programs and walks.
A very large section in the eastern end of the arboretum fell out of active management in the 1980s, and has since become covered in invasive buckthorn and autumn olive trees that provide little fo
January 27, 2022
The Blandy Book Club will meet virtually on Thursday, January 27 to discuss "Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures" by Merlin Sheldrake.
November 1, 2021
Blandy Partners with the Clifton Institute for Local Plant Conservation
December 15, 2021
Plant Experts from Blandy Experimental Farm Caution Against Using Boxwood Clippings in Holiday Decorating
Blandy arborist Chris Schmidt warns that boxwood clippings can spread boxwood blight fungus in recent article in The Winchester Star.
That's all, folks! As of Thursday, November 11th, 95%+ of the trees in the Ginkgo Grove have dropped their leaves. We can look forward to enjoying the austere beauty of the Grove over the coming winter months.
Here's what the Ginkgo Grove looks like Monday, November 8th. It's been a strange fall for our ginkgoes. We estimate that ~50-75% of the ginkgo leaves have fallen, many while still green in color. Could a warm October followed by 5 consecutive days of low temperatures be to blame?
September 29, 2021
Planning a trip to Blandy? Check out these resources to learn about the birds you might encounter during your visit!
May 28, 2021
Clarke County students are making a difference in our watershed!
May 1, 2021
Our watershed education project, funded by NOAA’s Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program, is nationally highlighted in
May 4, 2021
Pawpaw Is 2021 State Arboretum Tree of the Year
Native tree produces large, edible fruit
April 8, 2021
WILDFLOWER IDENTIFICATION WEBINAR
9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, April 8
The winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) has emerged from the cold ground, letting us know spring is on the way despite a snowy, cold forecast.
February 16, 2021
Our spring programs include wildflower identification walks, a full moon walk, stargazing with the Shenandoah Astronomical Society, and more.
February 8, 2021
A lot of us would like to forget 2020 entirely. But for birders, the year featured some memorable sightings.
February 8, 2021
At the end of 2020, the State Arboretum of Virginia counted 29 Virginia State Champion trees among its collection, and eight more were in the top three.
January 25, 2021
The steam distribution system in the Quarters building at Blandy probably dates back to 1941. As was often the case at the time, some of the steam pipes, primarily in the attic, were insulated wit
December 16, 2020
This fall, the Garden Club of Virginia honored Candace Lutzow-Felling, Blandy's Director of Education, with a Conservation Educator Award citing her "superlative leadership skills in devleoping co
December 16, 2020
Winter has come, and plants have gone dormant. The arboretum's herbaceous specimens have reatreated belowground, and the deciduous trees have shed their coats of green and gold.
December 7, 2020
In 2015, Earyn McGee was an undergraduate student at Howard University who spent her summer at Blandy studying the effects of pharmaceutical drugs on aquatic insects.
December 5, 2020
10-11:30 a.m.
Saturday, November 21
10-11:30 a.m.
Saturday, December 5
December 1, 2020
Virtual Conifer ID & Holiday Party
Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 3 PM EST – 4:30 PM
Blandy is proud to introduce our new Director of Scientific Engagement, Dr. Ariel Firebaugh. Blandy's Director of Public Programs, Dr. Steve Carroll, retired last October. We decided to reimagine the position, and the name change reflects the evolution of public programming that occurred during Steve's tenure.Blandy is proud to introduce our new Director of Scientific Engagement, Dr. Ariel Firebaugh. Blandy's Director of Public Programs, Dr. Steve Carroll, retired last October. We decided to reimagine the position, and the name change reflects the evolution of public programming that occurred during Steve's tenure.