Oak Spring Garden Foundation

### Context Profile for Oak Spring Garden Foundation

1. **Organization Mission & Cause**:
   - The Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) is dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity and the promotion of sustainable land management practices. Their mission is to steward the Oak Spring estate, a 700-acre property rich in diverse ecosystems, to protect and foster wildlife communities. They aim to share their conservation efforts and knowledge with the public through educational programs and community engagement.

2. **Type of Activities**:
   - OSGF hosts various events, including guided biodiversity walks, educational workshops, and community programs focused on conservation and sustainability. The "Biodiversity Walk" is a recent event that invites participants to explore the estate's flora and fauna while learning about conservation practices. They also engage in fundraising campaigns to support their initiatives and promote awareness of biodiversity issues.

3. **Tone of Voice**:
   - The tone of OSGF's communication is friendly, informative, and inviting. They use clear and accessible language to engage a diverse audience, including novice and seasoned nature enthusiasts. The content is structured to provide essential information while encouraging participation and fostering a sense of community.

4. **Emoji Usage**:
   - The organization does not appear to use emojis in their communications, maintaining a professional and straightforward approach in their messaging.

5. **Key Facts**:
   - **Founding Info**: Established by Paul and Bunny Mellon, OSGF is committed to conservation and education.
   - **Scale**: The foundation operates on a 700-acre estate, focusing on biodiversity conservation.
   - **Impact Metrics**: Specific metrics were not detailed on the website, but their activities emphasize community engagement and educational outreach.
   - **Volunteer Info**: Information about volunteer opportunities is not explicitly mentioned, but community involvement is encouraged through events.

6. **Writing Guidelines**:
   - Use clear and concise language that is accessible to a broad audience.
   - Maintain a friendly and inviting tone, encouraging participation and engagement.
   - Structure content to provide essential details upfront, followed by additional context or instructions.
   - Avoid using emojis to maintain a professional appearance.
   - Include calls to action that inspire readers to participate in events or support the foundation's mission.

This context profile serves as a foundational guide for creating tailored content for the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, ensuring alignment with their mission, tone, and audience engagement strategies.

General Admission

OverviewJoin horticulturist and flower bulb grower Jason Delaney and the OSGF Library staff for a richly illustrated and immersive lecture on the storied history of a timeless garden favorite, the tulip. Drawing from five centuries&#39; worth of lavish content in the OSGF Library&rsquo;s rare and antiquarian holdings, Jason will enlighten participants on the tulip&rsquo;s wild origins, its artistic historical representation, its early commercial aspects as the first speculative commodity, and its place in Bunny Mellon&rsquo;s gardens today. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1768421146/wysiwyg/xp8enwaifqb9wmq0ma5d.jpg" style="width: 320px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; position: relative; max-width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit; border-radius: 10px; background-clip: padding-box; box-shadow: rgb(204, 204, 204) 10px 10px 5px 0px;" fr-original-style="width: 320px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable fr-shadow fr-rounded"> About Jason DelaneyA graduate of Michigan State University&rsquo;s Institute of Agricultural Technology, Jason Delaney&rsquo;s horticultural career began as a student laborer at MSU&rsquo;s Beal Botanical Garden where his love of public gardening was planted. Following a summer internship at the world-renowned Missouri Botanical Garden in 1995, he accepted a full-time position there and for the next nearly 21 colorful years grew from Gardener to Horticulturist, and ultimately to North Gardens Supervisor and Bulb Collections Specialist. During his tenure curating MBG&rsquo;s bulb, daylily, and iris collections, among others, Jason participated in conservation-focused plant collecting expeditions to the Altai mountains of southern Siberia, the Caucasus Mountains of the Republic of Georgia, the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, and the Changbaishan Mountains in northeastern China. Jason has also traveled to Taiwan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and extensively throughout the U.S. for his work with daffodils, his greatest passion.&nbsp; Jason&rsquo;s work with bulbs has been featured in numerous magazines, journals, newspapers, and television programs. Today, Jason owns and operates Professional Horticultural Services (PHS), specializing in residential garden design and maintenance; and PHS Daffodils, specializing in daffodil production. Jason&rsquo;s prized plant collections are situated on nearly four acres of family land in Flora, IL where over 3,500 varieties of daffodils, over 1,500 varieties of daylilies, and a few hundred historic irises are grown for small-scale commercial production, breeding, and evaluation. Collecting novel garden varieties and historic varieties for genetic preservation are his primary foci. Jason has been breeding daffodils and daylilies, and dabbling in breeding trumpet lilies and crinums, since the 1990s; a few of his cultivars are now in commercial production. Jason made his first flower bulb order at the age of four, and has yet to learn restraint from acquiring new bulbs annually. Follow his adventures on his Instagram accounts, phsdaffodils and phsdaylilies. About Oak Spring Garden Foundation:&nbsp;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&rsquo;s inaugural President, OSGF provides 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. Photo Release Statement: By attending this event, you consent to your likeness and image being used for ongoing promotional and marketing efforts.

<span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style="" style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; color: rgb(42, 42, 196); padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;">First name, Thank you so much for registering for Tulip Mania lecture. We&rsquo;re delighted you&rsquo;ll be joining us for this immersive story on a timeless garden favorite. Please note that this event will take place at: Library1776 Loughborough LnUpperville, VA 20184 Looking forward to embarking on this adventure with you soon! Warm regards,Oak Spring Garden Foundation

OverviewJoin horticulturist and flower bulb grower Jason Delaney and the OSGF Library staff for a richly illustrated and immersive lecture on the storied history of a timeless garden favorite, the tulip. Drawing from five centuries' worth of lavish content in the OSGF Library’s rare and antiquarian holdings, Jason will enlighten participants on the tulip’s wild origins, its artistic historical representation, its early commercial aspects as the first speculative commodity, and its place in Bunny Mellon’s gardens today. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1768421146/wysiwyg/xp8enwaifqb9wmq0ma5d.jpg" style="width:320px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;position:relative;box-sizing:inherit;border-radius:10px;box-shadow:rgb(204, 204, 204) 10px 10px 5px 0px;max-width:100%" /> About Jason DelaneyA graduate of Michigan State University’s Institute of Agricultural Technology, Jason Delaney’s horticultural career began as a student laborer at MSU’s Beal Botanical Garden where his love of public gardening was planted. Following a summer internship at the world-renowned Missouri Botanical Garden in 1995, he accepted a full-time position there and for the next nearly 21 colorful years grew from Gardener to Horticulturist, and ultimately to North Gardens Supervisor and Bulb Collections Specialist. During his tenure curating MBG’s bulb, daylily, and iris collections, among others, Jason participated in conservation-focused plant collecting expeditions to the Altai mountains of southern Siberia, the Caucasus Mountains of the Republic of Georgia, the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, and the Changbaishan Mountains in northeastern China. Jason has also traveled to Taiwan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and extensively throughout the U.S. for his work with daffodils, his greatest passion.  Jason’s work with bulbs has been featured in numerous magazines, journals, newspapers, and television programs. Today, Jason owns and operates Professional Horticultural Services (PHS), specializing in residential garden design and maintenance; and PHS Daffodils, specializing in daffodil production. Jason’s prized plant collections are situated on nearly four acres of family land in Flora, IL where over 3,500 varieties of daffodils, over 1,500 varieties of daylilies, and a few hundred historic irises are grown for small-scale commercial production, breeding, and evaluation. Collecting novel garden varieties and historic varieties for genetic preservation are his primary foci. Jason has been breeding daffodils and daylilies, and dabbling in breeding trumpet lilies and crinums, since the 1990s; a few of his cultivars are now in commercial production. Jason made his first flower bulb order at the age of four, and has yet to learn restraint from acquiring new bulbs annually. Follow his adventures on his Instagram accounts, phsdaffodils and phsdaylilies. 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 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. Photo Release Statement: By attending this event, you consent to your likeness and image being used for ongoing promotional and marketing efforts.

Oak Spring Garden Foundation

Tulip Mania at the Oak Spring Garden Library

1776 Loughborough Ln

General Admission

$125