Historic Garden Week 2021: Explore Virginia's Most Stunning Historic Gardens in Spring Bloom
Historic Garden Week in Virginia, celebrated as "America’s Largest Open House," runs from April 17-24, 2021. This premier event features 25 tours showcasing remarkable gardens, stretching from the Shenandoah Valley foothills to Tidewater beaches.
"Gardens symbolize hope and renewal. This spring, more than ever, people crave inspiration from beautiful landscapes and outdoor escapes," says Missy Buckingham, president of the Garden Club of Virginia (GCV), which coordinates the event through its 48 member clubs.
Organizers adapted the beloved tradition for safety, engagement, and value amid COVID-19 guidelines.
"Tours are intentionally redesigned this year," explains Andrea Butler, GCV executive director. "Emphasis is on outdoor spaces with limited interiors. We've cut capacity and ticket prices, mandated face masks, and implemented strict protocols and signage to protect volunteers, homeowners, and guests."
"Tours will sell out quickly—purchase tickets early," Butler advises.
Tricia Garner, Historic Garden Week State Chairman, anticipates 1,000 floral arrangements by GCV designers. "These stunning displays are a highlight, with many as massive outdoor installations this year—a thrilling twist," says Garner, collaborating with member clubs for unforgettable visitor experiences.
"We're grateful for the unwavering support from sponsors, advertisers, volunteers, and homeowners who make this tradition possible," Garner adds.
Curious about top events? Here are standout highlights from this spring showcase.
Eyre Hall on the Eastern Shore
Date: Saturday, April 24
Cost: $30 per person
Created in the late 18th century by John and Ann Eyre, Eyre Hall's two-acre garden features brick-and-picket walls, intricate paths, and parterres for entertainment and plantation life. The current eighth-generation Eyre stewards maintain this legacy, blending historical charm with vibrant modern borders. Expansive fields and Cherrystone Creek views enhance this National Historic Landmark, a Eastern Shore tour staple. 2021 marks its 80th Historic Garden Week anniversary.
Fredericksburg’s Historic Gardens
Date: Tuesday, April 20
Cost: $20 per person
Rappahannock Valley Garden Club unveils a massive floral tribute to Fredericksburg's War Memorial. Watch it unfold, plus enjoy horticulture exhibits, demos on floral design, composting, container gardening, Virginia natives, rain gardens, recycling, tree care, and pruning.
This self-guided tour covers a 12-block downtown radius, plus gardens at restored GCV sites: Historic Kenmore Plantation & Gardens (first 1929 project), Mary Washington House, and Mary Washington Monument.
James River Plantations Gardens
Dates: Sunday–Tuesday, April 18-20
Cost: $50 per person (combo ticket)
Three early-1600s properties and Westover Episcopal Church open consecutively along Route 5 and the James River in Charles City. Access grounds, gardens, outbuildings, and select interiors; lunch at the church. Sites reflect 400 years of history.
Berkeley Plantation (1726 Georgian brick mansion): Birthplace of presidents Benjamin Harrison V and William Henry Harrison. Quarter-mile gardens with boxwoods and river views.
Shirley Plantation (oldest family-owned business in North America, 1638): Original Great House, outbuildings with enslavement history exhibits, oak alley, boxwoods, native gardens, river vistas.
Westover Plantation: Exemplary Georgian architecture, formal garden around Byrd tomb, iron clairvoyee, outbuildings. Newly renovated kitchen by Charlotte Moss LLC open for first view.
Historic Gardens of Lynchburg
Date: Tuesday, April 20
Cost: $25 per person
An English Country estate blends architecture, design, and farm life with bees, chickens, greenhouse, and edible gardens. Four private properties, three debuting. Another emphasizes sustainability: pesticide-free, pollinator-friendly with natives.
Free for ticket holders: Anne Spencer House & Garden (Harlem Renaissance poet's retreat), Poplar Forest garden (Jefferson's retreat), Sweet Briar College's Boxwood and Daisy’s Gardens.
Touring Roanoke’s Gardens
Date: Saturday, April 24
Cost: $25 per person
Garden-only tour of eight private spaces, all first-timers. Highlights: pollinator haven with edibles and natives; city-view garden with hydrangeas, hostas; restored Mill Mountain Garden Club wildflower trail with natives, ADA paths, pond.
Gardens of Colonial Williamsburg
Date: Tuesday, April 20
Cost: $50 per person
Access seven rarely open gardens, five debuting. Features: parterres with bulbs, dogwoods; kitchen garden companion planting; 1777 tailor’s lot with Charleston-inspired design, grape arbor.
As GCV’s top fundraiser, proceeds restore Virginia’s historic landscapes and fund landscape architecture fellowships. Timed entries, reduced tickets for safety. Visit vagardenweek.org for details and tickets.
