Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

With something for all ages and interests, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a place to learn about plants, marvel at nature and relax in a beautiful setting. Highlights of the 50-acre garden include a classical domed conservatory, the only one of its kind in the mid-Atlantic, and an extensive daffodil collection.

There are more than a dozen themed gardens, including the Children’s Garden, Rose Garden, Healing Garden, Sunken Garden, Asian Valley and Victorian Garden, which all offer year-round interest. The E. Claiborne Robins Visitors Center is the gateway to the garden and the Georgian-style building celebrates the history and heritage of Virginia.

The captivating Central Garden includes three acres of garden ‘rooms’, featuring classical design and artistry, fascinating plants, intimate spaces and dramatic views. They include the walled Four Seasons Garden focusing on fine craftsmanship and the use of indigenous building materials. The cobbled path naturally slows your pace so there is plenty of time to admire the whimsical frog fountain and mythical green man. Other areas include the Healing Garden, reflecting on one of the fundamental uses of plants for medicine and healing. Leading from here is a tranquil area designed to resemble medieval cloister gardens, which were used for spiritual healing through contemplation, meditation and reflection. Even more contrast is provided in elliptical beds accentuated with an oversized granite mortar and pestle and inspired by an Italian Renaissance garden.

The garden is open daily from 9am to 5pm, except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for senior citizens and $6 for children.

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

The seeds of the Norfolk Botanical Garden were first planted by young horticulturist Frederic Heutte and Thomas P. Thompson, who was Norfolk City Manager from 1935 to 1938. Heutte had a fondness for azaleas and thought the region had a climate uniquely suited for growing the plants. The pair firmly believed Norfolk could support an azalea garden to rival those of Charleston, which even during the depression years drew thousands of tourists annually.

Work started in 1938 and within less than a year 4,000 azaleas, 2,000 rhododendrons and thousands of shrubs, trees and daffodils had been planted. The garden grew steadily over the years and today covers 155 acres with over 20 imaginatively themed gardens, featuring cultivated and wild plants that can be viewed by tram, boat or on foot.

Signature gardens include the Bicentennial Rose Garden, dedicated in 1976 and accredited as one of 130 All-American Rose Selections Display Gardens. Rose lovers will discover more than 3,000 rose plants representing more than 430 varieties, and at the height of bloom, from mid-May to October, more than 250,000 spectacular rose blooms can be seen. Another showcase is the Hofheimer Camellia Garden, with one of the region’s largest collections of camellias. Younger visitors will adore the World of Wonders, a three-acre children’s adventure garden featuring exciting plants from around the globe.

The gardens are open from 9am to 5pm, October 16th to March, and 9am to 7pm, April to October 15th, excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for senior citizens and $5 for children.

River Farm

Renowned for its spectacular vistas of lawns and meadows stretching down to the Potomac River, River Farm features an artful blend of natural and formal gardens that offer year-round delight to visitors of all ages. There are hands-on activities and play areas for children, demonstration gardens and scenic spots to enjoy a picnic.

The oldest tree is the immense osage orange, a tree native to the western US. The largest in Virginia and second largest in the country, the osage is believed to have been a gift from Thomas Jefferson to the Washington family. Other highlights include, a grove of rare franklinia trees, Kentucky coffee trees that are descendants of those first introduced to Virginia by Washington. Its wooded spaces and river banks are home to a wide range of wildlife, including bald eagles, ospreys, and deer.

At one end of the perennial border stands a set of historic gates that stood at the White House for 120 years. They were installed at the White House in 1819 and have now been restored to their former glory.

Originally one of George Washington’s five farms, since 1973 River Farm has been headquarters to the American Horticultural Society, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious gardening organisations. The 25-acre property retains its historic character and was designated a Horticultural Landmark in 2004 by the American Society for Horticultural Science.

River Farm is open daily, excluding national holidays, from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. Open Saturday, from 9am to 1pm, in early April through September 25th.