Agecroft Hall (Richmond, VA). 15th century English manor house moved to Richmond in 1925. Gardens designed by Charles Gillette, including an Elizabethan knot garden. Closed Mondays. Virginia House (see below) is nearby.

Anne Spencer House and Garden (Lynchburg, VA).  Home and studio of Harlem Renaissance poet and avid gardener. Garden restored in the 1980s. Featured in PBS series GardenStory, segment "The Garden as Muse," in 2005. House and studio open by appointment ($5); garden free, Mon-Sat, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 1313 Pierce Street; 434/845-1313. Call ahead to confirm. Group garden tours available.

Belmont Estate (Fredericksburg, VA). Georgian style frame house built in 1790s on the banks of the Rappahannock. Served as home and studio of artist Gari Melchers in the early 20th century. Grounds and gardens restored by Garden Club of Virginia in the 1990s. Boxwood gardens; orchard; vegetable garden; 28 varieties of roses; wildlife habitat; restored farm outbuildings.  Maintained by Master Gardeners of the Rappahannock Region. Workshops, tours, lectures.

Blandy Experimental Farm (including state arboretum) (Boyce, VA) is open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year; no admission fee. University of Virginia research facility; 700 acres. For a calendar of events, click on website. Spring and fall festivals.

Brookside Gardens (Wheaton, MD) maintains an online calendar of events for its 50 acres of gardens and conservatory.  

Boxerwood Gardens (Lexington, VA), a 31-acre arboretum and nature center outside of Lexington (963 Ross Road), is open from mid-March to November for self-guided tours. During the winter, call for an appointment (540/463-2697) Guided tours available year-round. Mature woodland includes both native and exotic species of trees and shrubs. The property is the legacy of Robert S. Munger (1911-1988). Offers workshops and environmental education programs occasionally, too. $5 suggested contribution.

Brent and Becky's Bulbs (Gloucester, VA). Tours and lectures at the Heaths' 10-acre farm, the headquarters of one of the nation's best-known mail-order bulb suppliers. Calendar on website. 

Buffalo Springs Herb Farm (Raphine, VA). Shenandoah Valley farm popular for workshops and special events, many of which highlight growing and using herbs. NOW CLOSED unless a new owner is found.

Chanticleer: A Pleasure Garden (Wayne, PA). Located on Philadelphia's Main Line. Beautiful old estate with well-developed gardens punctuated by creative sculpture and whimsical hand-made furniture. Open April through October. Easy to combine with a visit to Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, PA)--see below.

Colonial Williamsburg (Williamsburg, VA). Heirloom gardens in outdoor museum setting, some maintained by local Master Gardeners. Occasional garden programs. Check website for upcoming events. Annual Garden Symposium every spring, co-sponsored with the American Horticultural Society.

Dumbarton Oaks (Georgetown in Washington, D.C.)  Historic estate owned by Harvard University. Gardens designed by Beatrix Ferrand.  

Edible Landscaping (Afton, VA). Occasional workshops.

Edith J. Carrier Arboretum (James Madison University; Harrisonburg, VA). Plant sales; tours; classes; field trips; Brown Bag lunch series at the Pavilion during summer months. Calendar available on the arboretum’s website or call 540/568-3194. 

Flower Camp (Howardsville, VA). Series of weekend workshops in Japanese brush painting, botanical art, flower arranging. Nancy Ross Hugo, director.  

Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia (Staunton, VA). Open-air museum showcasing farm and frontier life in the Shenandoah Valley. Events year-round. Garden Days in early summer.

Green Spring Gardens (Fairfax County, VA). Popular public garden featuring a wooded stream valley with ponds, a naturalistic native plant garden, over 20 thematic demonstration gardens, a greenhouse filled with tropicals, and a horticultural reference library. Garden Gate Plant Shop and two gift shops. Many programs year-round. See website for calendar.  Historic 1784 house is a centerpiece of the property.

Hahn Horticulture Garden (Blacksburg, VA).  Seven-acre garden on Virginia Tech campus, including sub-gardens devoted to xeriscaping, dwarf conifers, water and other themes. Meadow garden in the works. Photo tour and guide on-line.

Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HRAREC) (Virginia Beach, VA) sponsors “All America Trial Gardens,” “America’s Anniversary Garden”, and other activities and courses throughout the year. 

JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University (Raleigh, NC). Eight-acre arboretum founded in 1976 and run by the Department of Horticultural Science at NC State. More than 5,000 species or cultivars on display. Free and open to the public 365 days a year. Tours, workshops, seminars, travel.

Ladew Topiary Gardens (Monkton, MD)  A self-taught gardener, Harvey S. Ladew (1887-1976) created 15 thematic "garden rooms" on 22 acres of his 250-acre Maryland property. Perhaps best known for its precisely-clipped topiary "hunt" scenes. Tours, workshops, garden lectures, a nature trail, manor house, concerts and much more throughout the year. Calendar on website.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (Richmond, VA) contains 40 acres of gardens in the heart of Richmond, and includes a classically-styled conservatory.  Complete schedule of events is available on-line, including classes in botanical illustration, beekeeping, spring pruning of shrubs, garden design basics, containers, birding, flower arranging and more. Spring and fall plant sales.

Longwood Gardens (Kennett Square, PA) offers tours and special events year-round. For a full calendar of events and classes, click here. Elaborate Christmas displays in conservatory and on the grounds from the day after Thanksgiving until early January. TIMED TICKET system. See website for details about purchase. 

Master Gardener College 2009. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia. This year's MG Colleage will be held June 17-22, 2010! 

Maymont (Richmond, VA) includes a 33-room mansion, nature and visitors center, gardens, arboretum and more than 100 acres to stroll in Richmond’s downtown. Beautiful Japanese garden. Nature Center. Children's farm. Annual herb sale. Victorian Holiday events, tours and other festivities. Check website for schedule.


Montpelier (Montpelier Station, VA). Home of President James Madison. A National Trust for Historic Preservation property. Reopened in September 2008 after extensive renovations to the house. Gardens and old-growth forest. Free guided "Big Woods Walks" each season. Dates for 2010: January 10, April 11, July 11, and October 17. Gardens and grounds tours, April through October, Sundays 1-2 pm.

National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.) showcases horticulture in occasional exhibits.

New York Botanical Garden (NY). The NYBG is home to the Enid A. Haupt glasshouse and more than two dozen other theme gardens.

Norfolk Botanical Garden (Hampton Roads, VA). For a full online calendar of events, click here.
 
Old City Cemetery (Lynchburg, VA). Beautifully landscaped historic cemetery, known for its antique roses. Gardening workshops. Calendar on-line. 

Philadelphia Flower Show. Held annually at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia. See website for details.

Pine Knot Farms (Clarksville, VA)  Annual Hellebores Festival in late winter. Only "Open Days" for the public at this renowned breeder. Pleasant long day trip from Charlottesville area. Info: judith@pineknotfarms.com or 540/252-1990. See website, too, for details.  

Point of Honor (Lynchburg, VA). 112 Cabell Street. Federal Period house and gardens. Grounds restored by the Garden Club of Virginia with aid of Meade Palmer, landscape architect. See History on website for details of restoration. Daily tours.

River Farm (American Horticultural Society) (Alexandria, VA). Visit the River Farm website for details about upcoming events at the farm and AHS "webinars" (online seminars) conducted by nationally-known garden experts.  

Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, PA) sponsors occasional workshops and conferences. 

Smithsonian. See National Museum of Natural History, above.

U.S. Botanic Garden (Washington, D.C.). See website for ongoing calendar of free events at the country’s oldest public botanic garden. Permanent exhibits include: “Six Plants We Can’t Live Without” and “How Plants Work: A Guide to Being Green.”  Special holiday displays.

U.S. National Arboretum (Washington, D.C.) offers workshops and exhibits throughout the year. 

Viette Farm and Nursery (Fishersville, VA).  Nationally-known nursery run by Andre Viette offers free and fee workshops from May till autumn.  See website for calender of lectures, tours and clinics.

Virginia Conservation Network: State-wide network of more than 100 conservation-minded groups, including Garden Club of Virginia, Audubon Society and others. Calendar on website includes wide variety of activities, including garden-related workshops.

Virginia House (Richmond, VA). Home of the Virginia Historical Society. Eight acres of formal and naturalistic gardens designed in the 1920s by the legendary Southern landscape architect, Charles Gillette. Twelfth-century priory (now part of the main house) was dismantled and shipped from England in the mid-1920s; reassembled on site. Gardens and grounds open daily. Check website for hours.

Virginia Master Gardeners Association maintains a statewide calendar of events sponsored by and for Master Gardeners.  See Master Gardener College 2008 entry, above.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond, VA).  Exhibits occasionally touch on horticultural themes.

Virginia State Fair (Meadow Event Park in Caroline County)  This year's fair will be held September 23 through October 3, 2010 !

Washington National Cathedral (Washington, D.C.) Beautiful Bishop's Garden and nature preserve (with trails) next to the Cathedral. One-hour tour of garden once-weekly by All Hallows Guild, April through October. Popular annual herb sale. Check website for details or call 202/537-2319. Booklet available in the Herb Cottage for self-guided tours.