A winter scene with trees and snow
A winter scene with trees and snow

Landscape Improvement Project Underway for Peetwood Pavilion

March 25, 2022 -- Stephanie.Swaim

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 Blandy since it first opened in 2005. Located about 50 yards east of the visitor parking lot, Peetwood Pavilion is primarily used for Blandy’s K-12 school programs. Over the winter it’s received a major facelift, funded with the support of the University of Virginia’s Arboretum and Landscape Committee as well as the Foundation of the State Arboretum.

New Winter StoryWalk(R)!

Update: This StoryWalk® was removed at the end of February. Stay tuned for more seasonal StoryWalks® in the future!

For the next few weeks, you can enjoy a good book and learn about wintertime wildlife while you walk along the Native Plant Trail!

Blandy's new winter StoryWalk® consists of a series of signs spaced at regular intervals. Each sign bears one page of Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner. You and the young naturalist in your life can read the book a page at a time as you walk along the trail.

Arboretum Project Begins

January 31, 2022 -- Stephanie.Swaim

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.

Backyard Conservationists will Benefit from Blandy Program

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).

Be careful with Boxwoods

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.

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News & Announcements

Textile Art Exhibit
Art and Nature at Blandy

November 18, 2024

Holiday Workshop 2024
Wreath Making at Blandy A Holiday Tradition

November 12, 2024

Check Out Our Winter Programs

November 12, 2024

Spotlight

Make A Year-End Gift with Local and Global Impact

Your tax-deductible contribution supports the research, education, and engagement initiatives of the Foundation of the State Arboretum of Virginia.

Events

Today

  1. Blandy Photography Club Meeting

Thursday, December 5th

  1. Blandy Sketch Group
    • Start time: 12:30pm
    • End time: 03:30pm

    • The Blandy Sketch Group is a dynamic group of artists who work in the visual arts and who all share a love of the natural world as inspiration for their artwork. The Blandy Sketch Group is open to any artist, beginner or professional.  This month, we will be meeting at an alternate location. No meeting will be held at Blandy this month.Visit our website for more info- https://blandysketchgroup.wordpress.com/

Friday, December 13th

  1. December Bird Walk

Sunday, December 15th

  1. Cozy Conifer Mysteries

Monday, December 16th

  1. Starting a wildflower patch from seed