The Teaching Garden at the Benedictine Monastery
9535 Linton Hall Road, Bristow, VA 20136
The Teaching Garden, located at the Benedictine Monastery/Linton Hall School grounds at 9535 Linton Hall Rd. Bristow, VA, and is managed and maintained by VCE Prince William Master Gardener Volunteers.
While this garden began as a garden in which to grow fresh produce for the Plant a Row for the Hungry project and provide fresh produce for needy families, today the Teaching Garden is used to demonstrate low maintenance gardening techniques that homeowners can implement in their own landscape and for hands on volunteer training. The guiding principles are to use drought tolerant, deer resistant, native plantings. Master Gardeners are at the garden every Tuesday morning and Thursday evening and on many Saturdays March through October. If you’d like to schedule a visit or a tour, please contact us. We also offer FREE practical classes at “Saturday in the Garden” programs every month, April – October. See our current class schedule below.
Join us for our Saturday in the Garden classes
All Saturday in the Garden classes are held free of charge at the Teaching Garden 9535 Linton Hall Rd, Bristow, VA. Classes begin at 9:00 am and run approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours. We do require registration for any classes you might find of interest.
Below is a list of our 2024 offerings. The schedule for 2025 will be posted in the Spring of 2025.
May 4 – Garden Tool Sharpening with Master Gardener Hank Spencer/Plant Sale. Hank will explain proper garden tool maintenance and demonstrate proper sharpening techniques. Register. Then stop by the Master Gardener’s Plant Sale.
June 1 – Firewise. Department of Forestry representative(s) will provide tips on how using native trees, shrubs and plants around your home can reduce the house and property’s vulnerability to wildfires. Register.
July 13 – What is that Insect? Come and walk around the Teaching Garden with Capital Naturalist, Alonso Abugattas and learn about what insects, good and bad, might be in the garden during the summer. Register
August 3 – Cover Crops/Turf. Join VCE for this two- part session. First Ag Agent Thomas Bolles will give us tips on using cover crops to invigorate and improve the soil. Then Environmental Educator, Elisha Young will talk about the dos and don’ts of maintaining healthy turf. Register.
September 7 – Art in the Garden/Plant Sale. Gardening is a form of Art, so why not join VCE at the Teaching Garden for a lesson in sketching and/or painting. Register. Afterwards stop by the Master Gardener’s Fall Plant Sale.
October 5 – Fall Bulbs. Master Gardener Ross Eagles will share his knowledge and expertise on what bulbs to plant in the fall for a beautiful spring garden, the best time to plant and how to care for them. Register.