WHY POLLINATORS? The recent surge in scientific and popular interest in pollinators has spawned a new curiosity about the habits and cycles of the bees, moths, bats, hummingbirds, and other insects we had previously taken for granted. Bee colony collapse and the disappearance of monarch butterflies are topics once the province of scientists and entomologists …
the All Hallows Guild Carousel Caliola Since 1963 All Hallows Guild has owned the historic traveling carousel (circa 1890) that appears each year at Flower Mart. Before catching a glimpse of the carousel, Flower Mart visitors hear the music of the 1937 Wurlitzer caliola calling them to ride. The caliola itself, though newer than the …
stonework Repairs Needed in the Gardens From the very early years of All Hallows Guild, our visionary leader, Florence Brown Bratenahl, had as her watchwords, “Historic Trees, Boxwood, Yew and Stone.” Indeed Mrs. Bratenahl wrote a booklet with this title in 1932, highlighting examples of all these materials on the Cathedral hillside. She knew they …
The record-breaking rainfall of 2018 may have lowered water bills and minimized use of irrigation, but all that water took its toll on our landscape nonetheless. Increased runoff has affected the Olmsted Woods and at times overwhelmed the water-control measures we installed some years ago. We are addressing this with engineers and architects. The All …
With holiday decorating in full swing it is tempting to reach for beautiful boxwood clippings to augment fir and hemlock greens inside and outside our homes. The fragrance and vibrant green of boxwood are wonderful additions to swags and garlands, table trees and wreaths. Unfortunately, the current spread of boxwood blight is putting currently healthy …
Holiday Décor: Boxwood Blight and Safe Practices Read More »
Bas-reliefs embedded in Stone Walls The lovely and historic 15-century stone sculptures collected by Mrs. Bratenahl have given the garden a look of antiquity during the century since they were placed in the walls and planting beds. The wall behind the Upper Perennial Border, the Norman Court, and the Hortulus all are graced with this …
Pilgrim Road Crossing to the All Hallows Amphitheater A long-awaited piece of the Cathedral Close landscape has just been completed. It has been either 100 years or only ten years in the making, but either way we are so very pleased. A stone crossing of Pilgrim Road linking the Bishop’s Garden and its south …
All Hallows Guild sponsors two or three garden interns each summer for a double mission: their young and energetic work helps our staff during the intensive growing (and weeding) season, and they receive both practical experience at our gardens and education through field trips to local public gardens and at horticulture symposia. This summer …
All Hallows Guild sponsors Bird Walks in the Olmsted Woods – usually twice in the spring and twice during the fall migration periods. The spring 2018 walks, led by Sheila Cochran, were held on Thursday, May 10th and 17th. Walkers were treated to some good sightings. Twenty-two different bird species were seen and documented during …
All Hallows Guild was founded in 1916 to provide for the care and beautification of the grounds of Washington National Cathedral. The Guild works closely with the horticultural staff to preserve this historic landscape and raises funds for renovation and renewal of the gardens.
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