Master Gardeners volunteer at Chatham Manor every Wednesday morning, weather permitting, beginning at 8:00 AM and working through the morning.  You do not need to make a commitment to be there every week, simply come on the Wednesdays that work for you.  There are some tools available, but most folks bring their own favorites- especially pruners.   At Chatham, volunteers perform various tasks including pruning, cultivating and planting, and also interact with garden visitors, answering questions and providing information. In addition, volunteers have been able to work in one of the greenhouses on the property, raising plants to be used in the garden.  If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities at Chatham, please contact Carol Hyland at [email protected] or by phone at 703-801-1675.

• The Changing Seasons at Chatham

As Spring approaches, daffodils begin to show themselves and then bloom in the Chatham gardens, signaling that we have reached one of the most enjoyable and rewarding parts of the garden year.  The fact is that we have been working all winter in the gardens to prepare for the seasonal passages to follow.  We began our preparation for winter cleanup in mid-Autumn and ordered pansies to be installed for winter color.  By November, it was time to remove the summer annuals and install the pansies in the garden entry bed, parterre beds and kitchen garden.  Planning ahead is always necessary, so a large supply of mulch was ordered.  Plant plugs to start the 2023 summer annuals in the greenhouses were also ordered to arrive in March.  The mulch was delivered, perennials were cut back and the mulch spreading began.  Tulip bulbs, which had been ordered months earlier, arrived and were planted in the garden entry and the long beds that line the walk to the house.  Mulch spreading was interrupted for a week when volunteers cleared invasive ivy from the brick garden wall, but was resumed the following week and continues.  Meanwhile seeds for additional summer annuals have been ordered, and the greenhouse operation will crank into action in mid-March, putting us into the midst of activities necessary for the flowers that will appear in the summer, as the cyclical, seasonal flow of the garden continues.  The gardens are beautiful in Spring, so this would be a great time to come for a visit.

Spring, 2024
​Photos by Addison Shultz

February, 2023

February, 2023

June by Margie Huie