April 18, 2022 In 1940 All Hallows Guild hosted the second annual Flower Mart on the Cathedral’s Pilgrim Steps. In attendance at the event was White House resident First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Mrs. Roosevelt was interested in seeing the wares brough to the “Market” by local farmers’ wives. Mrs. Edith Wilson, wife of the 28th President …
April 14, 2022 The Olmsted Woods Restoration Plan In this year celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of the visionary Frederick Law Olmsted, we recall the Cathedral Close was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., for whom the Woods are named. it is fitting, as we are the Stewards to all the gardens and …
December 22, 2021 The Cathedral’s Gardens continued to serve as a Haven of Peace during the second Pandemic Year During this challenging time, the 57 acres of gardens, grounds and woodlands surrounding Washington National Cathedral have remained open to the public. While the pandemic hampered our primary fundraising efforts, we continued to work hard to keep our …
August 30, 2021 The colorful Flowerbed near the center of the Bishop’s Garden The Sundial Bed is Filled with Blooming Bulbs in Spring In January, 2021, we posted this blog about the varieties of spring bulbs planted in the Sundial Bed. Over 1,300 tulip bulbs are mixed with hundreds of hyacinths, anemones, and allium for …
August 4, 2021 It was my pleasure to meet and talk with our three Summer Horticulture Interns one recent July afternoon and I want to introduce you to these delightful and purposeful young people. How our interns learn through their work Anna Kaczmarek, Noah Burley, and Maia Kessler are the three students sponsored by AHG …
June 10, 2021 The Woodland Bridge sat astride the ravine in the Olmsted Woods for some 60 years. With its rustic wooden pilings and charming gazebo sited mid-span, it held memories for decades of students crossing over and countless visitors entering the woods to ascend the Pilgrim Way. All Hallows Guild had the bridge reinforced …
March 28, 2021 It all Began in 1939 Flower Mart began modestly in 1939 when All Hallows Guild first hosted a festive marketplace of stalls and flower carts on the Cathedral’s Pilgrim Steps. Hundreds of people visited the first of what would become one Washington’s premier springtime events. In the more than eighty years since …
March 26, 2021 Ruthanna Maxwell Brushart Weber 1915-2021 Ruthanna Weber (Mrs. C. Swan Weber), born the year before All Hallows Guild was founded, passed away recently after a long and full life. During World War II, she served as a first lieutenant in the US Navy, about which she was rightfully very proud. Throughout her life, …
February 9, 2021 winter continues – so it was proclaimed on Groundhog Day! Our dedicated grounds crew know the meaning of this – they have the task of clearing roadways, sidewalks, and steps on the close to have them ready for schools to open the morning after a snow and ice storm. Last year there …
January 23, 2021 Spring and Summer Bulbs in the Bishop’s Garden Even on a relatively mild and sunny January day, it is clearly still winter. We have a couple of months before we can daily see reliable signs of spring, and often the first place these signs are evident is in a garden. Spring-blooming bulbs …
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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