Historic Garden Week in Virginia

Why is Historic Garden Week in Virginia such a huge annual event? Well, consider these words by Hugh Johnson:

"No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden."

Often called "America's Open House," the event is April 20-27, 2013, and will afford you entrance into 250+ gardens, homes, and historic landmarks-- some of them rarely open to the public.

The Garden Club of Virginia calls it "the oldest and largest statewide house and garden tour event in the nation." The event is grouped into local tours, each of which provide entrance into multiple estates.

Tour tickets range from $15-$40 per tour; in many cases, you can purchase single tickets for only $10. Plus, if you buy them in advance, you can save $5 or more per ticket in some cases.

Here's the full schedule for Virginia Historic Garden Week (I can't give you details about each tour - go to www.vagardenweek.org for that) but I've noted a few sights I particularly recommend):

Saturday April 20 -
- Smithfield - (Smithfield is a charming little town - don't miss the delicious sandwiches and AMAZING bread pudding at the Smithfield Bakery)
- Staunton-Augusta County
- Ashland - Elmont
- Morven, Charlottesville
- Old Town Alexandria
- Orange County/Somerset

Sunday April 21 -
- Albemarle-Charlottesville, Nelson County, Wintergreen Area
- Chatham

Monday April 22 -
- Albemarle-Charlottesville, Nelson County, Wintergreen Area
- Brandon Plantation, Burrowsville
- Loudoun County-Waterford

Tuesday April 23 -
- Brandon Plantation, Burrowsville
- Richmond: Chatham Hills/Windsor on the James
- Tuckahoe Plantation, Goochland County (normally only open by appointment, this childhood home of Thomas Jefferson is featuring three days of tours in honor of its 280th anniversary)
- University of Virginia
- Williamsburg - Kingsmill and Colonial Area
- Fairfax: Oakton/Vienna
- Fredericksburg
- Lynchburg
- Petersburg

Wednesday April 24 -
- Martinsville
- Newport News-Hampton
- Northern Neck/Northumberland County
- Richmond: Laburnum Park
- Brandon Plantation, Burrowsville
- Harrisonburg
- Tuckahoe Plantation, Goochland County
- Virginia Beach
- Warrenton

Thursday April 25 -
- Tuckahoe Plantation, Goochland County
- Warrenton
- Westover Plantation, Charles City County (close to Shirley Plantation, this beautiful home and grounds has a lovely view of the James River. The house is rarely open to the public, so this is a great chance to see both.)
- Brandon Plantation, Burrowsville
- Danville
- Norfolk - Ghent Area - (while you're in the area, take advantage of numerous antique shops, and one of my favorite restaurants, Baker's Crust)
- Richmond: Windsor Farms/Rothesay Circle/Loch Lomond Lane

Friday April 26 -
- Brandon Plantation, Burrowsville
- Westover Plantation, Charles City County
- Middle Peninsula - Lower King and Queen County Area

Saturday April 27 -
- Brandon Plantation, Burrowsville
- Warren County-Front Royal
- Westover Plantation, Charles City County
- Winchester
- Eastern Shore
- Gloucester-Mathews
- Lexington
- Roanoke