Donors make our Garden Grow

As all who have gardened know, gardens are dynamic entities that require patience, hard work, creativity, and a bit of good luck. The Hahn Horticulture Garden is no exception. Our small but passionate staff does a lot with a little. Our community volunteers and student workers help keep it beautiful. In-kind donations of plants and services from generous green industry members and affiliates over the years have helped build the garden into the campus jewel that it is today.

Our Financial Situation

The HHG is located on the Virginia Tech campus and is a subset of the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences (formerly the Horticulture Department). The School pays for three full-time staff salaries (however, our director also teach university classes and only has 50% [20 hr/wk] garden appointment). The university provides the land, power, and water. Beyond that, we have to raise our own funding.

This means that we have to pay for all plants, materials, tools, equipment, furniture, fuel, special projects, expansion, improvements, etc. that go into maintaining and improving the Garden. We also have to cover gaps in full-time staff salaries/benefits and pay for all of our part-time staff and student workers. In summary, the university does not provide funding for our day-to-day operations. The HHG would not exist, without your generous support.

Our income is derived from numerous sources, including facility rentals, memberships, the Spring Plant Sale, the Garden Gala and the generosity of our supporters.

There are many ways you can help support the mission of the Hahn Horticulture Garden: join our Friends of the Garden membership program, give a gift, or volunteer your time and skills. Please use the links below to find out more information about supporting the Garden.

Please note that, as an entity of Virginia Tech, all of our financial transactions must process through the university or the Virginia Tech Foundation (VTF). Do not be alarmed or concerned if you start receiving mail/email from the VTF after becoming a Friend of the Garden or making a donation, the VTF manages all donations to the Garden. Rest assured that your donations to the HHG do end up in the Garden’s account!