There is still isolation in our everyday lives despite the fact that we are a year into the pandemic. People are looking for ways to be outdoors, descending on parks, arboretums, and public gardens. One local wellspring for anyone that wants to hike and enjoy nature is the State Arboretum of Virginia or Blandy Experimental Farm. Located on Route 50, 10 miles east of Winchester, 60 miles west of Washington D.C., it's a trip worth taking.
Wide trails meander through 172 acres, the core of a property that is over 700 acres large. Tree collections, a native plant trail, and the large ginkgo groove may be the most popular stops, but the meadow walk and conifer trial are ideal for winter excursions.
The University of Virginia owns the arboretum and houses students that use the property for research on bird migration, wildlife, and wetland studies. Many of the signs along the trail explain various experiments that are carried out by seasonal students.
While I still had my nursery and for a few years after, I was involved with design of some beds and gave lectures in their amazing library. On a recent trip it was good to see the new greenhouse and laboratory. My walk of 2 hours felt like a personal escape since I crossed paths with only 2 people.
The plant collections are spread out, with 13 different groupings, some by plant family such as olive, pea, and rose. My favorite tree collection are the beeches which are a good hike from the main parking lot but next to the drive loop. Parking is available along the loop and it's worth a walk (short or long) to admire the smooth barked, massive trunks of the beech tree collection.
What a lot of people don't realize is that Blandy is home to 29 state champion trees and I strongly urge you to research them before you visit, they are worth consideration given that they are on one property. Pamphlets will guide the visitor through various sections, the conifer trail is another good winter destination. I used to send customers there to better understand how large something might grow or appear in different seasons.
Various programs are held, some virtually, others are nature related walks on the property. Of 10 scheduled on-site walks, ranging from "Birding for Beginners" to a "Full Moon Walk", 5 are already sold out. Not to be discouraged there are also self-guided tours which involve an app. and designated tour stops which let you listen to information clips of that location. Many of the trees also have QR codes that can be scanned to learn more about the cultural history and ecology of that species.
Between the choices of walking for hours on end, driving the loop, or bringing a horse to ride (yes, that is an option), the State Arboretum of Virginia is the ideal escape, particularly for the naturalist and gardener.
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