Survey work is underway in the Woods Have you noticed orange survey markers in the Olmsted Woods? Lovers of the Woods have been concerned that they indicate a plan to build on this dedicated five-acre urban forest. Quite the contrary! All Hallows Guild’s 1998-2008 project of Woods preservation and erosion control was successful in addressing water …
The Stone and brick walkways and steps of the Bishop’s Garden are irregular and uneven. Stones were retrieved from abandoned plantations in Maryland and Virginia nearly a century ago to place here. When they were first used on those plantations in the early years of this country only hand methods of dressing stone were available. …
Making the Bishop’s Garden’s Ancient Stones Safer Read More »
September 12, 2019 Dedicated Olmsted Woods volunteer Virginia Egan is a part of our Olmsted Woods crew. This group of volunteers meets regularly on Wednesday mornings to maintain the five acre urban forest that exists within the Cathedral’s grounds. An enormous on-going project is the removal of invasive ivy in the Woods. Virginia typically sends …
Summer Dispatches from the Olmsted Woods Volunteers Read More »
August 1, 2019 Guild Provides College Interns To Horticulture Staff Again this year the Guild has the pleasure of sponsoring three college students who work with our horticulture and grounds staff for the summer. Alyssa Steele is a rising sophomore at University of Maryland in the Landscape Architecture program. She has learned that her academic …
All Hallows Guild Summer Intern Program a Two-Way Benefit Read More »
July 11, 2019 This garden next to Pilgrim Road, a memorial to Mrs Paul Nitze, former All Hallows Guild President, has been redesigned and replanted several times. Changing conditions of sun and drainage and even new plant discoveries and trends made us decide to replant parts of this area again. At this moment five new …
July 11, 2019 For years, spring-flowering bulbs were planted in several of the beds in the Bishop’s Garden; however, digging up the spent bulbs after bloom was destructive to the formal perennial plantings. Recently only the Sundial Bed became a showcase for spring bulbs and was afterward filled with other plants. For a long while, …
June 26, 2019 As we enter summer our new Pollinator Garden is coming into full flower and welcoming new visitors. We have featured this garden in earlier blog posts, but after planting early this spring, it is beginning to come into its own. The Pollinator Garden is located adjacent to the entrance to National Cathedral …
April 15, 2019 Friendship, Volunteers, and Tradition An enduring chain of friendship has helped to form the history of Flower Mart. Many Flower Mart volunteers are a part of a legacy that goes back years (or even decades), and spans generations. One of Flower Mart’s exceptional volunteers was All Hallows Guild Board Member Betty Gordon …
April 11, 2019 Recent warm weather has caused the Olmsted Woods to “spring” to life! Not only are leaves popping out on the trees and the spring blooms appearing, but our devoted group of Olmsted Woods volunteers has resumed their work removing invasive plants. Take a Walk in the Woods or join our Volunteers any …
March 18, 2019 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 …
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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