Gardens and Botanicals – The UncommonWealth

Manuscripts & Special Collections The Stacks

Gardens Abound in Library of Virginia Special Collections

As you tour the gardens of Virginia during Historic Garden Week, you may be inspired to plan your own garden or learn more about the…

Amanda AllgoodApril 22, 2026

Education & Programming Public Libraries

Growing As A Community: Virginia’s Seed Libraries

With the weather warming up, many Virginians start thinking about life outdoors again, and with that comes gardening. From largescale agricultural growing to elaborate landscape…

Annie HattonApril 4, 2022

Virginia Authors

Ramping Up Local Food Consumption

A lot has changed in our food culture since Barbara Kingsolver first wrote her memoir about eating locally sourced food. The cultural movement to eat…

Library of VirginiaDecember 17, 2021

Archives Education & Programming Public Libraries

Garden Clubs Plant Seeds of Change

Editor’s Note: The Library of Virginia, in partnership with Virginia Humanities, sponsors residential fellows during the academic year to conduct in-depth research in the Library’s collections.…

Meredith Henne BakerDecember 8, 2021

Virginia Authors

“A Prosperous Season”: The 1920 W. Grossmann and Son’s Seed Catalog

If you have a home garden, you may have engaged in a time-honored annual ritual—flipping through the pages of a favorite seed catalog and selecting…

Rebecca SchneiderMay 6, 2020

Manuscripts & Special Collections

"United to the Countryside:" Recent Rare Book Acquisitions

You never know what might turn up when someone calls, emails or comes in with “old books,” and so with each contact, the adventure begins…

Tom RayMarch 23, 2016

Digital Projects

"I speak for the trees!"

Flora of Virginia, the Library of Virginia’s latest exhibition, highlights the botanical exploration of Virginia from the colonial days to the present. Curated in partnership…

Louise JonesMarch 19, 2014