Garden tour set

FLORAL Beauty: A federal-style, 12-room brick mansion built in 1862, Ashland rests high on a hill surrounded by rolling farmland and forests that reach out to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance in Madison County. It’s one of the attractions during the Garden Club of Virginia’s annual Historic Garden Week.

By Rhonda Simmons
Published: April 14, 2009

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Dubbed “America’s Largest Open House,” the Garden Club of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week is ready to spring into action this weekend.

Event organizers will welcome visitors from across the region, as people visit more than 250 of Virginia’s gardens, homes and historic landmarks starting Saturday.

The tours within the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage area are located in Albemarle, Madison, Orange, Spotsylvania, Charlottesville, Leesburg, Loudoun and Warrenton.

Tickets range from $10 to $35 per event, and each offers between five and six homes and gardens to admire.

“Rarely can visitors enjoy so much beauty at one time,” said Cate Magennis Wyatt, president of Journey Through Hallowed Ground. “The vibrant historic downtowns, the breathtaking gardens, the extraordinary heritage — these are all part of the splendor of Virginia.”

Suzanne Munson, Garden Week’s executive director, said visitors enjoy this annual event for several reasons.

“People are looking for something fun and easy to do, to brighten their spirits,” she said. “They also attend the tours to gain fresh ideas in garden design, interior décor and expert renovation.”

The tour — marking its 76th anniversary — features a vast array of gardens: formal, walled, cottage, cutting, annual and perennial, herb, water and even secret.

For architecture enthusiasts, the tour also will include renovated historic properties, contemporary residences, artwork and collections of glass, china and antiques.

And for history buffs, some of the homes are linked to the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and the Victorian era.

The Garden Club of Virginia is an active organization of 47 garden clubs, whose members comprise of more than 3,300 civic leaders across the state. The group’s priority is to conserve the natural beauty of Virginia’s picturesque landscapes.

The JTHG is a nonprofit, public-private partnership that’s dedicated to raising national awareness of historic landmarks along a 175-mile stretch through four states from Monticello to Gettysburg.

Want to go?
What: Garden Club of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week
Where: Albemarle, Madison, Orange, Spotsylvania, Charlottesville, Leesburg, Loudoun and Warrenton
When: The weeklong event starts Saturday and concludes April 25
Tickets: $10-$35
More info: For a full schedule, visit vagardenweek.org or call (804) 644-7776.