History Blooms

Tickets for History Blooms 2026 are now available!

Join us again at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture for the third iteration of History Blooms. To mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation, this year’s event carries the theme Revolutionary Gardens, and the presentations and programming will be chock full of learning and fun.

The event is open to the public, and tickets to any program also include free museum admission so that you can see the floral design exhibits created by GCV member clubs throughout the museum. These beautiful floral creations will be a welcome prelude to spring. Club presidents and artistic design chairmen should have received a registration email in December. This is a non-judged show, except for a People’s Choice Award voted by general visitors to the museum.

As a GCV member, use the discount code in your email for a special member rate.

Featured at History Blooms 2026

All programs take place on Friday, Feb. 20

The Master at Work: GCV’s Flower Arranging School with Remco van Vliet
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
This third-generation Dutch floral designer is the principal designer for New York’s Museum of Modern Art and is a partner in Van Vliet and Trap, an event and design firm. In this exclusive teaching engagement, Remco will share stories of his lifelong immersion in flowers and delight the audience with jaw-dropping creations.

Hospitality from the Heart, Luncheon with Frances Shultz
12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Frances Schultz’s passion for entertaining in beautiful homes and gardens from coast to coast has produced a lifetime of experiences to share with you. Enjoy her delightful tales followed by a luncheon among friends. The author, speaker and artist will also be signing her latest book, California Cooking and Southern Style.

A Revolutionary Design: Workshop with David Pippin
1:30 – 3:00 p.m. (note, limit two tickets per person)
Floral designer, horticulturist, and educator David Pippin leads this hands-on workshop. Using natural materials and native blooms, participants will create their own design based on David’s expert instruction. Bring yourself and your clippers and leave with a Revolutionary creation.

Lecture: Thomas Jefferson’s Revolutionary Garden with Peter Hatch
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Peter Hatch, a leading authority on Thomas Jefferson’s innovative horticultural practices and gardens, will take you on an exploration of the cultural significance of his gardens, the varieties of vegetables he grew, and Jefferson’s vision for food, diversity, and democracy.

Lecture: Stewardship and Your Garden, A Quiet Revolution with Leslie Harris
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Every American aspires to have their own slice of land and the inalienable rights that ownership brings: freedom to grow what we choose, hardscape to suit our lifestyle, and to have as much lawn as we desire. Leslie Harris, co-host of The Garden Mixer podcast, will help you to take stock of your land through a fresh lens. Using humor and real-life examples, Leslie will inspire you to garden with intention and avoid the “intolerable acts” that can disrupt the path to good stewardship.