May 2020—In 87 years, Virginia’s Historic Garden Week has been cancelled only twice—once in the middle of World War II and again in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. Here, Garden Club of Virginia brings a taste of the event to us by showing us how members create local, seasonal arrangements to adorn homes and gardens featured on the tour. During a typical weeklong event, volunteers design more than two thousand such arrangements, using blooms grown in their very own gardens.
Featured Flowers & Foliage
In the video, Jeanette Cadwallender, a past Garden Club of Virginia President and current member, uses the bounty of her Fredericksburg garden to make a mantel arrangement.
- Lilacs
- Turnip flowers (from the vegetable garden!)
- Narcissus
- ‘Julia Child’ Rose
- Viburnum
- Peony
- Heuchera
- Solomon’s seal
- Tulips
- Columbine
- Lenten rose
- Exbury azalea
- Variegated ivy (grown in a container; otherwise it can be invasive)
For more gardening and flower-arranging tips from Garden Club of Virginia, see “Springtime Favorites in Southern Gardens.”
About Historic Garden Week
Sponsored by Garden Club of Virginia, Historic Garden Week typically attracts 26,000 visitors from all over the world, with proceeds funding the restoration and preservation of nearly 50 of Virginia’s historic public gardens and landscapes. More than 150 homeowners across the state were set to welcome visitors to their homes and gardens before the cancellation of the 2020 event. Learn more about Historic Garden Week at vagardenweek.org.