Thursday, August 1, 2024
Greetings Museums Friends,
As we bask in the (sometimes too hot!) sunshine and embrace the summer vibes, the Virginia Beach History Museums (VBHM) extend warm wishes to all our supporters. In this season of beauty and warmth, we are thrilled to shine a spotlight on, and express our heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to beautify our historic homes’ gardens, bringing a welcoming sense of joy to visitors and staff. Thank you for your invaluable contributions and unwavering commitment to the museums.
We are delighted to feature the exceptional work of the Master Gardeners and Council of Garden Clubs of Virginia Beach in our latest newsletter. Numerous volunteer gardening groups support our sites and, through that work, contribute to the broader Virginia Beach community.
Thoroughgood House Gardens
The Thoroughgood House Pleasure Garden is meticulously maintained and nurtured by a devoted team of volunteers. Efforts are led by the Virginia Beach Master Gardeners, with additional support from special project teams representing the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Thoroughgood Garden Club, and Girl Scout Troop 1579.
The primary mission of the Virginia Beach Master Gardeners at the Thoroughgood House is to "restore and maintain" the English-style garden, originally designed in the mid-1960s to complement the historic house. From caring for the arbors, topiaries, peonies, pears, irises, periwinkle, and herb garden, their team combines passion and scientific knowledge during weekly maintenance sessions.
If you are interested in participating in gardening efforts at the Thoroughgood House, please reach out to Dr. Tina Moreau, Virginia Beach Master Gardener Thoroughgood Project Lead at DrTMoreau@gmail.com. We look forward to welcoming you to the garden!
Francis Land House Gardens Spotlights
Little Neck Garden Club
The Little Neck Garden Club has been a steadfast supporter of the Francis Land House for many years, contributing to the beauty and upkeep of the grounds through various gardening initiatives. Their dedicated members have planted numerous shrubs, trees, herbs, bulbs, and perennials, ensuring a colorful and vibrant garden for visitors to enjoy. Regular weeding, pruning, and the addition of annuals for bursts of color are just a few ways the Club has maintained the garden's splendor.
In addition to their typical activities, the Little Neck Garden Club has been actively involved in holiday decorating and floral arrangements for the welcome area at the Francis Land House for the past four decades. Most recently, the Club generously donated plantings for the Buckeye circular bed at the side entrance. In October 2023, the Club planted white hydrangeas, heuchera, ajuga, yellow daffodils and red tulips, enhancing the area's beauty.
The Little Neck Garden Club takes great pride in its contributions to the Francis Land House, symbolizing a deep respect for history and its commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all visitors. The Club is honored to have "touched the ground" at the Francis Land House and are grateful for the opportunity to showcase the dedication of local garden clubs to this historic site.
Francis Land House Master Gardeners
The Francis Land House boasts a diverse range of gardens at its back and side, encompassing five distinct areas: vegetable, herb, demonstration plots, pollinator gardens and a fruit/tree garden. The Virginia Beach Master Gardeners meticulously maintain these gardens under the supervision of the Virginia Cooperative Extension.
The vegetable garden serves a dual purpose: growing organic produce annually and donating it to a local food pantry. Approximately 1,200 pounds of fresh food, including tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, eggplants, and okra, are harvested and donated. Following these summer crops, pole and bush beans will soon be ready for picking. The garden also yields regular and sweet potatoes, root crops, collards, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, and lettuce, all planted and harvested for donation.
Adjacent to the house, the herb garden features a wide array of medicinal and culinary herbs that would have been utilized in colonial times. Currently undergoing repairs due to tree damage, this garden continues to showcase historical uses of herbs.
The demonstration garden is dedicated to growing flax (for linen), cotton, and sorghum and showcasing the “Three Sisters” planting method (corn, squash, and runner beans) attributed to Native Americans and adopted by colonists. Established a decade ago, the pollinator garden not only adds beauty to the landscape, but also attracts pollinators to benefit the vegetable garden.
Francis Land House Master Gardeners Tree Stewards
The Master Gardener Tree Stewards have been working hard to transform the fruit and apple tree garden. Unfortunately, disease forced the removal of the apple orchard, but in its place now stand historical apple tree varieties. The berry garden has also seen some exciting changes, adding blueberries, currents, native beautyberries, and pawpaw trees. These enhancements have brought more diversity and charm to the Francis Land House Gardens.
Eagle Scout Francis Land House Formal Garden Project
This spring, Francis Sciortino achieved the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout through his remarkable restoration efforts in the formal garden. His dedicated work included power-washing the fence, sanding, and repainting it, cleaning and relaying the bricks, preparing the beds, planting seasonal flowers, leveling, and restoring the walkway, and even traveling to the Eastern Shore to acquire crushed clam shells for the walkway.
In addition to these tasks, Mr. Sciortino introduced new benches to the garden, and is currently engaged in restoring the ball and chain gate closures through reverse electrolysis. His upcoming project involves creating labels for plant materials, enhancing the educational piece of the garden. The attention to detail and sheer beauty of the garden, following Francis's transformation, have left those who have seen it inspired by his dedication and craftsmanship.
Lynnhaven House Historic Herb Garden
The Lynnhaven House historic herb garden, abundant with medicinal, strewing, and culinary herbs, has long been a focal point at the historic site. Maintained by devoted Virginia Beach Master Gardeners, this educational herb garden has enriched the visitor experience for years.
Recently, two long-time master gardeners, Paula McCann and Sarina Coffi, retired from their roles in maintaining the garden. However, staff have stepped in with enthusiasm and a green thumb to help care for the herbs while we search for new master gardeners to take on this rewarding project. If you, or anyone you know, is interested in helping to care for the historic herb garden, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Your passion for gardening and commitment to preserving this historic site would be greatly valued.
Attend FREE Summer Thoroughgood House Focus Tours!
VBHM has a full slate of annual summer Thoroughgood House Focus Tours, offering a deeper dive into specific areas of interest. All 2024 Focus Tours are FREE and suitable for all ages. The tours are held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. each Thursday through Sept. 19 at the Thoroughgood House, located at 1636 Parish Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455.
While advance registration is highly encouraged, walk-ups are also welcome! Visit culture.virginiabeach.gov/events to reserve your free tickets. For assistance, please call 757-385-5100. We look forward to exploring with you!
Aug. 1, 2024: Herb Your Enthusiasm
Aug. 8, 2024: Indigenous Pathways
Aug. 15, 2024: Colonial Clue?
Aug. 22, 2024: HerStory
Aug. 29, 2024: Art of Dyeing
Sept. 5, 2024: Pirates and Piracy
Sept. 12, 2024: Herb Your Enthusiasm
Sept. 19, 2024: History in Plain Sight
Virginia Beach History Museums Volunteer Opportunities!
Volunteers are the heart and soul of VBHM. Their contributions are invaluable as they take on diverse roles, such as leading tours, educating school groups, researching historical collections, and actively participating in special events.
If you are passionate about history, and interested in making a difference through volunteering, we welcome you to join us!
To explore available volunteer opportunities, please email VolunteerVBHM@vbgov.com .
We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your dedication and support in helping to beautify, enrich, and preserve our historic homes and grounds. Your commitment is truly cherished and makes a significant impact in the community. We eagerly anticipate seeing you at our upcoming tours and programs, and we thank you for being a valued contributor to our mission.
My Best Wishes,
Annmarie Reiley-Kay
Director, Virginia Beach History Museums