MCLEAN, VA — After last year’s cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Garden Club of Fairfax will hold its 2021 Home and Garden Tour in McLean.
The tour is planned between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 20. Due to the pandemic, the tour will emphasize outdoor gardens to allow for social distancing. Masks will be required, and interiors of homes will not be available due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The driving and walking tour will be headquartered at Ballantrae Farm Estate, 1288 Ballentrae Farm Drive in McLean. This six-acre estate has extensively landscaped grounds with gardens, a large Colonial Revival manor house dating back to 1925, a restored farmhouse, entertaining areas, swimming pool, koi pond and more. The visit will include flower arranging demonstrations and garden talks, and Bartlett Tree Experts will give away tree saplings.
Another stop is Wickersham Garden, a Tuscan villa style home and English carriage house with an acre of gardens framed by evergreen trees. A highlight is the step-down terrace overlooking an English carriage house and vine covered pergola, surrounded by flowering trees and fountains. At Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, visitors can explore 95 acres of ornamental display gardens, the Korean Bell Garden and unique native plant collections.
The McLean tour is one of 30 tours in Virginia being offered as part of the Garden Club of Virginia’s 88th Historic Garden Week from April 17 to 24. Historic Garden Week showcases some of Virginia’s best gardens and private homes and is the nation’s only statewide home and garden tour. The Garden Club of Virginia celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2020.
“Gardens are symbols of hope and renewal, said Missy Buckingham, president of the Garden Club of Virginia, in a statement. “They express creativity and provide an opportunity for reflection. During these trying times, many of us are enjoying more time spent in our gardens.”
The idea behind Historic Garden Week dates to 1927, when a flower show hosted by the Garden Club of Virginia raised $7,000 to save trees at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. The first tours took place two years later. Proceeds from Historic Garden Week support the restoration and preservation of more than 50 of Virginia’s historic public gardens and landscapes and more. Volunteers, home and garden owners, and visitors have helped restore gardens at landmarks such as Mount Vernon, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, and Green Spring Gardens.
Tickets for the McLean tour are $35 and must be purchased online in advance. Tickets include admission to two properties and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. For more information and tickets, visit www.vagardenweek.org.