Historic Virginia Garden Week

Highlights

• 5 Nights Hotel Accommodation
• 3 Nights Richmond and 2 Nights Charlottesville
• 2 days of Historic Virginia Garden Week Gardens
• Lewis Ginter Botanic Garden
• Lunch and tour at Chadwick and Sons Orchids
• Private Wine and Hors d'Oeuvres Reception with Cole Burrell at his home and garden, Bird Hill
• 4 Private Gardens in Charlottesville
• 1 Dinner
• 2 Box Lunches
• 5 Hotel Breakfasts
• $100 Donation to FGCCT
• Motorcoach transportation in Virginia
• Friendship Tours Escort
• Small group tour - 26 passengers
• * This tour is Land Only - Air is not included - Do NOT purchase your air flights until the minimum registration has been met

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in Richmond, transfer to the quaint Linden Row Hotel. Our welcome dinner will be at the popular Grapevine Restaurant featuring Italian, Greek and continental cuisine.

Day 2

This morning, we have our first Historic Virginia Garden Week tour at the Church Hill location. Church Hill, Richmond’s oldest neighborhood, is a vibrant testament to the city’s rich history and architectural legacy. Steeped in Revolutionary War significance, it is home to St. John’s Church, where Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech in 1775. As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, Church Hill stands as a living monument to the nation’s origins. The neighborhood is renowned for its well-preserved architecture, with historic homes and churches offering a glimpse into the past. Tourgoers will appreciate both the walking tour and the area’s preservation efforts. Our afternoon and evening are on our own.

Day 3

We will begin our tour of the Lewis Ginter Botanic Garden and enjoy a guided tour! After the tour there will be time for lunch on your own at the Garden Café. Our second exciting Historic Virginia Garden Week tour will be of the Westhampton area: In the late 1800s, Westhampton consisted of large parcels of land dotted with summer retreats, farmhouses, and hunting lodges. As the last stop on the City of Richmond’s trolley line, the area was considered remote. Westhampton’s sleepy, bucolic reputation began to change in the early 1900s, as schools like St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s opened, St. Stephens Church was built, and The Country Club of Virginia was founded. Families poured in to take advantage of these amenities, and Westhampton quickly became a sought-after address. Today, the area is as vibrant as ever, with numerous restaurants and retail shops complementing these institutional neighborhood anchors. Enjoy dinner on your own in Richmond tonight.

Day 4

Depart for Chadwick and Son Orchids Greenhouse, Powatan, VA. Arthur Chadwick founded Chadwick & Son Orchids Inc in 1989 with his father who had been growing orchids since 1943. Art addressed the FGCCT at our Annual Meeting in 2024. The Classic Cattleyas was written by Art and his father. Martha Stewart favorably reviewed the now-sold out book and had both Chadwicks on her TV Show. Art has the distinction of naming Cattleya hybrids after the wives of the last six U.S. Presidents and personally presenting the flowers to most of the honored recipients. He has spoken at two World Orchid Conferences. Chadwicks operates 11 greenhouses in rural Powhatan County, two retail stores in Richmond, and boards over 13,000 orchids for local clients. The company was recently featured in Southern Living magazine, The New York Times, the Washington Post, CBS Sunday Morning, and O Magazine. Art Chadwick himself will be one of our guides! A box lunch follows the tour. Following our lunch, we will depart for Charlottesville where we arrive at the Charlottesville Doubletree Hotel to check in and refresh! Our motor coach will then take us to meet C. Colston Burrell -- an acclaimed lecturer, garden designer, award winning author and photographer. A certified chlorophyll addict, Cole is an avid and lifelong plantsman, gardener, and naturalist. Cole is a popular lecturer internationally on topics of design, plants and ecology. Our afternoon destination is Bird Hill, the garden of host Cole Burrell and Bruce Ellsworth, a 12-acre pastiche of woodland, meadow and garden inspired by the beauty of the regional landscape. Though natives make up the heart of the palette, plants from around the world blend together within the natural framework. Circular spaces are repeated throughout, inspired by landscape architect Jens Jensen. Shaded beds surrounding the house are filled with sedges, ferns, bulbs, wildflowers, shrubs, and flowering trees. In sunnier areas, temperate and tropical plants blend for a season-long feast of foliage and flowers. Architectural salvage and re-purposed items are placed throughout the garden and potted plants abound. A ten-foot deer fence assures the safety of all the treasures gathered within. With wine in hand, tour the garden and enjoy delicious finger food provided by Chef Ellen English.

Day 5

Gina and Gene Sullenberger's spectacular garden is set against the dramatic backdrop of a 180 degree view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Gina is an accomplished plantswoman and designer who has developed the 5-acre property into a wonderland of formal gardens and woodland walks. The meticulously maintained potager provides a wealth of produce throughout the season. The garden contains a conservatory, stone-walled courtyard, pool garden, orchard and a charming playhouse perched above a fern-filled spring. The newest addition to this extraordinary property is a fenced rectilinear garden with a lively fountain centered in a verdant lawn bordered by lush shrub and perennial plantings. Our next destination is the gardens of Waterperry Farm, owned by Katherine Kane. The extensive gardens surround an elegant 1810-style farmhouse. Katherine designed the expertly landscaped grounds. Garden rooms welcome the weary to cozy seats and flowerbeds filled with rosemary and other herbs. Blooming dogwoods, peonies, and hydrangeas anchor another of the garden rooms and nearby an old bullpen is now home to a healthy array of roses. Impressive stone walls and softly manicured hedges help bring it all together. Garden paths lead to a secluded hammock, tennis courts, a pool and pool house and an attractive guesthouse. The newest additions are a lush stream-side garden and pond along the new entry drive and a greenhouse adjacent to the potager. Following our tour we enjoy a boxed lunch. Our final garden is one of those special places - a verdant retreat nestled in meticulously tidy woods with pastoral and mountain views. At Southfield, Cathy Kramer has created a relaxing romp through meticulously crafted plant combinations. The journey draws visitors through a series of engaging spaces, each with a distinct personality. The paths lead you to a tropical wonderland embracing the lovely infinity edge pool with the mountains as borrowed scene We return to our hotel for a farewell glass of wine before you depart for dinner on your own in Charlottesville.

Day 6

Today is departure day from Charlottesville, so after breakfast we depart for one last garden. An unfolding story is how Pam Sorensen describes her collaboration with landscape designer Cole Burrell. The property—nearly an acre and a quarter—is blessed with remarkable native trees and good bones. A journey through the garden reveals one lovely chapter after another of their 12-year collaboration. Brick walls define a series of terraces cascading downhill from the house, flanked by long perennial beds. Features include a patio and fountain, a boxwood parterre garden, and a rock garden with three interconnecting pools. The jungle-like rear section of the property is now a colorful pastiche of flowers and foliage beneath a towering canopy. Return to Richmond Airport for your flight home.

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