Historic Garden Week Returns on April 24

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Local garden enthusiasts were dealt a devastating blow last year when the Garden Club of Virginia was forced to cancel its annual Historic Garden Week due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, this year’s event is a go and organizers promise it will more than make up for the cancellation. 

“This year’s Historic Garden Week promises to be full of outstanding, real-life examples of what can be accomplished in the garden by ambitious homeowners,” the club says of the tour which will take place April 17-24. Last year’s cancellation was only the second time that the tour has not occurred in the organization’s 100-year history, the other being during World War II. 

The theme for the local leg of the tour on April 24 is “Celebrate the Spring Garden.” Seven private gardens that are located around the foot of Mill Mountain will be featured, with the newly renovated Mill Mountain Wildflower Garden serving as an added bonus. 

“Each garden on the tour is unique in style, and all are nurtured by ardent gardeners who use plants, water features and ornamentation to bring their artistic visions to life,” Bre Vassar, chair of the Roanoke tour, says.

2000 J.P. Fishburn Parkway, Mill Mountain Wildflower Garden 

The City of Roanoke approached the Mill Mountain Garden Club to create a two-and-a-half acre wildflower garden 50 years ago following the construction of the Mill Mountain Zoo. 

“When I was president of the club four years ago I realized that as with anything that was almost 50 years old, it was starting to show signs of age,” Forrest Moore, a member of the Mill Mountain Garden Club, explains. Notably, the pond at the garden was leaking and the trails needed to be redone. “A group of us decided we were going to put in the effort to come up with a plan and raise money.”

The club’s effort has resulted in the recent restoration of the garden, which included a rebuilt three-level stone cascading pond, new trails that embody an experiential feel, new garden rooms with plants and stone benches, a fairy garden at the entrance for younger visitors, star shaped stumps for jumping, educational signage that was funded through a grant from the Garden Club of Virginia and a revamped pollinator garden. The goldfish from the pond were donated to the zoo. They were replaced by a frog habitat. 

“We reimagined the garden so that it’s relevant for future generations,” she says of the addition of more interactive elements. 

Additionally, two vistas have been opened, which allows the garden to be viewed both inward and outward. “When we started taking all of the overgrown bush honeysuckle out, we realized we had been focusing inward with the garden. One vista faces east, while the other faces west,” Moore explains.

Throughout the process the group was focused on conservation, which led them to only add new plants that are native to the area. Due to the fact that they are all native species, they will adapt to climate change. “During heavy rainfalls and long periods of drought, the things that are going to survive are the ones that are supposed to be here,” she says. To date, a little over 1,000 new plants have been added to the garden. “Our native plants are beautiful.”

Moore stresses that the garden was redesigned with ADA compliance in mind, which now opens it up to more visitors than ever before. 

“The visitor who shows up on April 24 will have an orchestrated visit to the garden that will keep everyone safe,” Moore says. She anticipates that the trilliums, mayapples, lady slippers and lilies will all be in bloom. “This is probably the best time to visit the wildflower garden.” 

301 Willow Oak Drive

Julie Boxley’s traditional terraced garden was inspired by her mother and father. “From a young age I had an appreciation of natural beauty. When I moved to Roanoke, it was a dream come true to have my own garden,” she says.

Her Georgian style house originally had a large clay tennis court on the grounds, which her husband suggested turning into a garden. Once the court was removed, a series of stone wall terraces that define the shapes of the garden beds and grassy areas were installed. 

“We were advised to be respectful of the architecture when landscaping. We didn’t want our gardens to be formal but wanted them to compliment the house in a more casual way and I think that was accomplished with the curvilinear garden beds and outdoor accessories,” she explains. “I view my garden much like a house: it has different spaces and each is like a room in a home. For example, I have one bed that I call the ‘symphony in blue and purple’ another that is ‘peony heaven’ and ‘bird girl.”

Boxley is selective about what she plants in her garden because of the deer that frequent it. “I rely on plants they are least likely to eat, such as peony, fern, hellebore and lamb’s ear,” she jokes. 

The maintenance of the garden is a joint effort between Boxley and Ground Up Landscapes. While she performs the smaller tasks like the planting of annuals and weeding, the company handles the planting of trees and bushes and mulching. 

“I hope visitors feel inspired by my garden and see a plant, container, border, statuary or trellis and want to try it at their place,” she says.

Other gardens on the tour include:

3517 Wellington Drive

Amanda and Nicholas Marko’s garden prominently features hardscaping, including a slate patio and dry-stacked stone fireplace. The custom designed zen garden has sand, stone and water elements that were inspired by a trip to Kyoto.

2812 Rosalind Avenue 

Joyce Cline Jeager’s shaded woodland-style garden follows a stone path that is littered with a wide variety of native plants, including fern coral bells, heucherella and astilbe. 

3417 Wellington Drive

Cyndy and Brian Unwin’s garden features many exotic orchids and a pondless waterfall. Designed by a master gardener, the space is set up for outdoor dining and living. It has been recognized by the National Wildlife Federation. 

3716 Heatherton Drive

Lacey and Keene Varner’s private cottage garden includes stone benches and wrought iron furniture that are scattered among boxwoods and hydrangeas. The garden also has several fountains and a pagoda. 

2702 Crystal Spring Avenue

Teresa and Bob Blecksmith’s 1905 farmhouse includes a garden with native cultivars and plants specifically for pollinators. The garden also produces enough fruit for the gardener and neighbors to enjoy. 

1325 Ivy Street

Cindy and Tom Mohr’s property faces up towards the Mill Mountain Star. Their spacious backyard features oaks, dogwoods, maples and evergreens.

Special guests on the day of the tour will include the Plein Air Society, the Bonsai Society at the Marko garden, the Orchid Society at the Unwin garden and Beaver Dam Farm will be at the Blecksmith garden. Additionally, Maria Driscoll will be painting at the Varner garden. 

“Gardens are symbols of hope and renewal. They express creativity and provide an opportunity for reflection. During these trying times, many of us are enjoying more time spent in our gardens,” says Missy Buckingham, president of the Garden Club of Virginia.

This year’s tour is being limited to only 500 tickets, with 250 tickets allocated for the morning tour and 250 tickets allocated for the afternoon tour. In years past, the local tour normally had between 800 and 1,200 attendees. 

Tickets for the driving tour are on sale now and can be found at: https://www.vagardenweek.org.

About the Author: 

Aila Boyd is an educator and journalist who resides in Roanoke. She holds an MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University.