WILLIAMSBURG — The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation will host its 79th annual Garden Symposium April 16-18.
Offered both virtually and in-person, the foundation said this year’s conference will explore the rich legacy and living beauty of some of America’s most iconic gardens.
From the carefully cultivated landscapes of Charleston to the wild and visionary gardens of Bunny Mellon, leading voices in historic and horticultural scholarship explore how people, plants, and places have shaped one another over centuries. it added.
Highlights include:
- Louisa Cameron examines the enduring beauty and evolution of Charleston’s historic gardens.
- Jenny Rose Carey illuminates the pioneering yet often overlooked women who shaped horticulture in the early 20th century.
- Chris Strand (Winterthur) reflects on The Last Wild Garden, examining the relationship between cultivated design and ecological spontaneity.
- Sir Peter Crane explores discoveries in the botanical world of Bunny Mellon, revealing her lasting influence on modern garden aesthetics.
- Stacey Weir explores the design heritage of the Biltmore Estate’s historic gardens.
- Neal Hurst revisits Arthur Shurcliff’s foundational concepts at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
- Eve Otmar follows the global journeys of 18th-century botanists and their plant specimens, tracing networks of exchange and exploration.
- Jamie Helmick centers on Indigenous gardening traditions in Virginia — both before and after colonization —reframing narratives of landscape stewardship.
Colonial Williamsburg said the talks will invite participants to consider gardens not only as works of art, but as living archives of cultural exchange, ecological adaptation, and identity—sites where history is continually cultivated and rediscovered.
The foundation added virtual and in-person attendees will have access to all mainstage lectures through June 1, and will receive a ticket voucher to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area and Art Museums, valid for seven days from the time of redemption through Dec. 31. In-person registration includes receptions, breaks, and access to exclusive breakout sessions, such as hands-on workshops and special tours throughout Colonial Williamsburg’s iconic gardens.
Most conference activities will take place at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. Limited-capacity walking tours and workshops are available for in-person registrants, as are special room rates at Colonial Williamsburg hotel properties.
In-person registration is $325 per person through March 27, and includes coffee and snacks during breaks, two evening receptions, access to the general session presentations and the conference streaming platform. Virtual-only registration is $125 per person through April 16, and includes access to all general session presentations through the conference streaming platform. Registration and payment in full are required by March 27 for in-person attendance and by April 16 for virtual attendance.
A limited number of scholarships for in-person or virtual sessions are available for current or recently graduated students or emerging professionals in related fields, the foundation said. A full agenda, registration, and scholarship information can be found online or by calling 1-800-603-0948.
