News

Click here to visit the Digitizing Project; we are actively digitizing more material for the online collection.

The Oak Spring Garden Library is a private collection formed by Mrs. Mellon, reflecting her lifelong love of books and gardening. Below is a quote from Mrs. Mellon found in the preface of an Oak Spring Garland, published in 1989, regarding the evolution of the Library and her passion for botanical books and manuscripts.

"...This collection of books and drawings grew as a way of life, not just a gathering of rare and interesting books bought at the enticement of an enthusiastic bookseller, but chosen one by one for their special and unusual contents and design, as well as their relationship to books already part of the collection. It is a working library where mystery, fascination, and romance contribute to centuries of the art of gardening as a source of discovery, and so the process remains to this day."

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The Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries Annual Award for a Significant Work in Botanical or Horticultural Literature for 2011 has been presented to the Oak Spring Garden Library for Oak Spring Herbaria; Herbs and herbals from the Fourteenth to the Nineteenth Centuries
by Lucia Tongiorgi Tomasi and Tony Willis

See our Publications Page were you can now purchase all four volumes of the Oak Sping Garden Library series.

March 12, 2010

The Oak Spring Garden Library's fourth catalogue, An Oak Spring Herbaria: Herbs and Herbals from the Fourteenth to the Nineteenth Centuries, recieved this year's James A. Duke Excellence in Botanical Literature Award. This award was given by the American Botanical Council at thier annual meeting in Anaheim California.

Click to see Catesby's Hortus Eurropae Americanus. To find out about the movie The curious Mr. Catesby visit the Catesby Commemorative Trust.

A rare manuscript in the Library's collection provided assistance in the historic restoration of the Barnbarroch House, located in Wigtownshire, Scotland.