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 food for wildlife and crowd out all other plant life. In late January, we began removing 2.5 acres of these trees, beginning the long process of transforming this degraded part of the arboretum into a beautiful, diverse forest.
Blandy Partners with the Clifton Institute for Local Plant Conservation
Most native seed suppliers carry only the most common and showy native wildflowers, which is just a small subsection of our incredibly diverse flora. In most cases, commercially available plants are sourced from only a few areas and shipped to other parts of the country – a framework that doesn’t preserve local varieties of plants and often produces an inferior product for customers (a milkweed adapted to Minnesota weather might not do well in the warmer climates of Virginia).
Plant Experts from Blandy Experimental Farm Caution Against Using Boxwood Clippings in Holiday Decorating
Plant experts from Blandy Experimental Farm are advising Virginia residents against using cuttings from boxwoods, one of the most popular evergreens for holiday decorating, due to boxwood blight.
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?
In 2011, a group of bicycling arborists paused at the Arboretum and planted 35 trees in an hour. That planting kicked off our Community Forest, a multi-year tree planting to expand the forest for wildlife near the front entrance. Civic organizations and school groups continued planting trees...
Today
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Thursday, January 16th
Step-by-step presentation on how to start a native wildflower patch from seed. Visit our website for more information and to register: https://blandy.virginia.edu/content/programs-workshops-walks
Tuesday, February 4th
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Tuesday, March 4th
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Tuesday, April 1st
To learn more, send an email to blandyphotographyclub@gmail.com
