About the Hahn Horticulture Garden at Virginia Tech
Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.
-Frank Lloyd Wright
The garden was founded in 1984 by Horticulture faculty members Robert Lyons and Robert McDuffie. Many people over the years have contributed to the garden: students, faculty, staff, community volunteers, nursery and greenhouse growers, landscapers, and so many more. Many garden components and structures have been designed and built by Hort faculty and students. The current garden, including new construction, covers 5.8 acres. It was renamed the Hahn Horticulture Garden in November 2004 in honor of Peggy L. Hahn, in thanks for the generous gift and bequest for expansion from T. Marshall and Peggy Hahn. Peggy was a terrific gardener in her own right; her love of plants still inspires us today .
The garden features hundreds of species of woody and herbaceous plants from around the world, showcased in various features: a multi-acre shade garden, “hot” perennial border, spectrum mixed border, xeriphytic garden, two water features including the Jane Andrews Memorial Stream Garden, Pavilion tent lawn and folly, meadow garden (new in 2008), Peggy Lee Hahn Garden Pavilion (special event facility and staff offices).
Mission of the Garden:
The mission of the Hahn Horticulture Garden is three-fold. 1) As part of the inclusive Virginia Tech community, the HHG provides experiential and service learning opportunities for students. It serves as a living laboratory for instructional faculty and staff to better serve the landscape, nursery, and public horticulture sectors; 2) we strive to enrich and enlighten both youth and adults of our community and region with diverse educational programs; 3) we apply sustainable horticultural and environmental principles in the acquisition and dynamic display of plants from the world over.
We utilize sustainable gardening practices. All leaves, branches, and other plant debris are chopped and used as mulch or composted either onsite or at the Virginia Tech composting facility. We do not use insecticides or fungicides. Herbicides are used minimally.
Staff:
Dr. Holly Scoggins, Associate Professor, Dept. of Horticulture, and Director since 2002
Stephanie Huckestein, Education and Outreach Coordinator
Paul Chumbley and Lisa Lipsey, Horticulturists
Dr. Alex Niemiera, Associate Professor, Dept. of Horticulture; woody plants curator
Other staff and helpers includes two summer student interns, various student 
workers during schoolyear, the Public Gardens Maintenance and Management students, and community volunteers (long-time volunteer Forrest Fiedler at right)
Partnership with Master Gardeners: New River Valley Master Gardeners have helped fulfill their volunteer hours helping maintain the garden since 1987; the garden hosts the state Master Gardener College finale picnic complete with a plant sale for attendees. Holly and Stephanie both teach the Master Gardener training courses. Many Master Gardeners in turn are members of the Friends of the Garden.
Undergraduate courses that use the Garden
Herbaceous Landscape Plants I & II, WoodyLandscape Plants I & II, Landscape Construction, Landscape Installation and Maintenance, Public Gardens Maintenance & Mgt., Plant Propagation, Small-Scale Design. Other departments/colleges: Entomology, Plant Pathology, Weed Science, Urban Forestry, Crop andSoil Science, Landscape Architecture, Art. Many of our seasonal display plants (annuals and tropicals) are grown by the Ornamental Plant Production and Marketing class each spring (photo below).
Support for operations and maintenance: The Garden is self-sufficient; funding comes from donations to the Friends of the Garden membership program, educational workshops and seminars, special events such as our annual Garden Gala, gifts of plants and supplies from the green industry, revenues from weddings held at the garden, income from the annual plant sale, and outright gifts. Brains and brawn for maintaining, upgrading, and developing garden areas and collections are provided by garden personnel as well as Horticulture students, faculty, and volunteers from the community.
Phone: (540) 231-5970
Mailing address:
Hahn Horticulture Garden
Peggy Lee Hahn Garden Pavilion (0915)
200 Garden Lane
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061
e-mail vtgarden@vt.edu
- For more information on anything related to the garden, call (540) 231-5970 or Email vtgarden@vt.edu.
- Our mailing address is Hahn Horticulture Garden, 200 Garden Lane (0915), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061.
Directions: From the main entrance of Virginia Tech (Highway 460), enter on Southgate Drive, then turn left on to Duckpond Drive, then right onto Washington Street. There is a road (Garden Lane) that runs between the greenhouse complex and the garden; this brings you to the Visitor Parking area and the Peggy Lee Hahn Garden Pavilion.