# Oak Spring Garden Foundation

Oak Spring Garden Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Upperville, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Upperville, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 1776 Loughborough Lane, Upperville, VA 20184, United States
- **Founded:** 1993
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** osgf.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/oak-spring-garden-foundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Oak Spring Garden Foundation was established in 1993 by Rachel 'Bunny' Mellon, a prominent horticulturist and the widow of philanthropist Paul Mellon. The foundation operates from her former residence, a 700-acre estate in Upperville, Virginia, and is structured as an operating foundation — it directly runs programs rather than acting as a grantmaker. OSGF deploys its capital through on-site programming focused on horticulture, landscape design, and botanical art. Its strategy spans three main areas: residential fellowships and short courses, public education and outreach, and stewardship of physical assets including the historic formal gardens, a biocultural conservation farm, and the Oak Spring Garden Library. The library holds a collection of rare books, manuscripts, and botanical art. The foundation's geographic focus is predominantly the eastern United States, though its residency programs and scholarly network draw international participants. OSGF's governance includes inaugural President Sir Peter Crane, former Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and a board featuring Lisa W. Hess, former CIO of Loews Corporation. The foundation partners with organizations such as the Garden Club of Virginia and the American Daffodil Society for horticultural events. In 2024, OSGF published a book with Rizzoli on Bunny Mellon's interior designs, signaling an expansion into cultural programming alongside its plant-science mission. Unlike most foundations, OSGF does not operate as a grantmaker but as an operator of a physical campus and research library. This architecture makes it more akin to a residential academic institution than a traditional philanthropy, with its endowed estate and collections serving as both the asset base and the programmatic delivery platform.

## Sectors

- Education
- Real Estate

## People

- Rachel 'Bunny' Mellon — Founder
- Sir Peter Crane — Inaugural President

## Questions

### What is the wealth origin behind the Oak Spring Garden Foundation?

The foundation was created by Rachel 'Bunny' Mellon, who inherited wealth from her grandfather's Lambert Pharmacal Company, the maker of Listerine. She further consolidated this fortune through her marriage to Paul Mellon, son of former U.S. Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon and heir to the Mellon banking fortune. Her combined inheritance funded the estate and the endowment that supports OSGF.

### Does the Oak Spring Garden Foundation make external grants?

No. OSGF is structured as an operating foundation, meaning it uses its endowment to directly run its own programs rather than distributing funds to external organizations. Its primary activities are residential fellowships, short courses for scholars and practitioners, and the maintenance of its estate and library as a research resource.

### What is the significance of the Oak Spring Garden Library?

The library houses one of the world's most significant private collections of rare books, manuscripts, and botanical art related to plants, gardens, and landscapes. It serves as the intellectual core of the foundation's residency program, allowing scholars to engage directly with primary-source materials on horticultural history and botanical illustration.

### How does the foundation's real estate portfolio support its mission?

The 700-acre estate in Upperville, Virginia, functions as a living laboratory and program venue. It includes formal gardens designed by Bunny Mellon, the Biocultural Conservation Farm, and the Rokeby Farm property. These assets are used for hands-on workshops, conservation research, and public education events, making the land itself the primary programmatic asset.

## Related profiles

- [OAKS Asset Management](https://altss.com/profile/oaks-asset-management)
- [Oak Stream Partners](https://altss.com/profile/oak-stream-partners)

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Last updated: 2026-08-10T15:58:45.833Z

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