Historic Garden Week 

The Garden Club of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week (HGW) returns to Staunton at the peak of spring on Saturday, April 18. We spoke with Laura Nordstrom, chair of Staunton’s garden tour, who answered our questions, provided lots of insider information, and even gave us some gardening tips. Here’s how to enjoy the tour.

Tour Details

• When: April 18, 2026
• Tickets: Purchase morning or afternoon tickets online or on the day of the tour.
• Parking: Park at tour headquarters in Gypsy Hill Park (5 Deaver Drive). Complimentary shuttles will transport participants to each property. 
• Public restrooms will be available at tour headquarters 

The tour showcases three beautiful Staunton-area private homes and their surrounding gardens, including “a 1939 Colonial Revival filled with stories about its owners and Staunton’s revitalization, offering surprises both inside and out; an earlier Colonial Revival adapted for modern convenience, set on landscaped grounds that feature remnants of a three-hole golf course; and a cherished family home filled with antiques and souvenirs from travels, whose grounds and three-season garden have hosted two generations of children and many dogs.”

In addition to touring the homes, guests can enjoy outdoor programming at the Gypsy Hill golf pavilion. Learn about the history of Gypsy Hill Park, recent park improvements, and the Augusta Garden Club’s Project Dogwood, which has planted thousands of these springtime beauties throughout the community. 

Learn about native plants from a Master Gardener. Bartlett Tree Experts will be onsite to give out tree saplings and answer your arboreal questions. Finally, guests will get to see plein air artists painting in the tour’s gardens.

Historic Garden Week

While gardening is the country’s most popular outdoor activity, Virginia’s Historic Garden Week is the only statewide house and garden tour in the U.S. Not only has HGW contributed greatly to the state’s tourism economy (generating 13.3 million annually and $679 million over 55 years), it has actually attracted more visitors over time than Disney World or Disneyland!

Proceeds from HGW support the Garden Club of Virginia’s ongoing restoration and preservation of Virginia’s most iconic historic public gardens and landscapes, as well as other lesser-known sites across the state. Starting in the late 1920s with the Kenmore property in Fredericksburg, the GCV has completed projects at nearly 50 locations across the state including at William & Mary and Washington & Lee Universities. The GCV has maintained the gardens at Staunton’s own Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library for eight decades. Proceeds also fund an award-winning research fellowship program in landscape architecture to educate future leaders in the field and document the commonwealth’s historic public and private estates.

Nordstrom told us that GCV sponsors workshops and a conservation forum to explore environmental issues within the commonwealth. “These efforts go hand-in-hand with educating members and the public about relevant topics such as clean air and water, and planting and protecting native plants.”

What Happens Behind the Scenes?

Each year, The Garden Club of Virginia’s 48 member clubs across the state organize an army of volunteers (3,400)! Nordstrom helped us get a sense of the amount of work and what it’s like behind the scenes. She also emphasized the importance of teamwork and strong leadership for getting things done and making HGW run smoothly. “We work through a robust committee system, and have wonderful committees that pick the homes, orchestrate the traffic, sell the advertising, organize the flower arranging, write the publicity, and manage all the logistics.”

Houses are selected “at least a year ahead of time and are evaluated for their location, how recently they might have been on the tour (if at all), what will be blooming in their yards during the tour, and any other special attributes they might have (unique gardens, interesting architecture, etc.)” 

Other Staunton Gardens and Nearby Destinations

• Nearby destinations hosting HGW tours include Albemarle County (April 19), Lynchburg (April 21), and Harrisonburg (April 22).
• The Historic Gardens at Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum were designed by landscape architect Charles F. Gillette in 1933 and are open to the public from dawn to dusk. 
• Montgomery Hall Park’s new Pollinator Garden is a collaborative effort between the Augusta Garden Club, the Beverley Garden Club, and the Augusta Bird Club.
• For a quick dose of flora and whimsy, stroll past the gardens at Staunton Public Library where colorful blooms surround a king-sized book sculpture. Tucked behind the library, the Brenda L. Papke Memorial Sensory Garden stimulates all five senses. 

• JMU’s 125-acre Edith J. Carrier Arboretum (Harrisonburg) celebrates native Virginia wildflower, tree, and shrub species in a peaceful, wooded environment. 

• Wildflower season at Shenandoah National Park extends from spring to fall. Over 850 different species grow here. Here’s what’s in bloom.
• Boxerwood Gardens (Lexington) has 20 acres of woods, wetlands, greenspace, gardens, and wildflower meadows, plus a natural playground for kids. 

Where to Stay

While you’ll wish you could unpack your bags in one of the houses on the tour, Staunton has a number of wonderful places to stay, including rooms and suites in historic mansions like the Historic Inn at Oakdene and Historic Berkeley Place, where you’ll find detail and character from the past updated with modern elegance. We also recommend guest rooms in the Frederick House or Barrister’s Row, which are steps from downtown dining and shopping. Experience more history (and elegant appointments) at The Blackburn Inn and Hotel 24 South.

Where to Eat

Speaking of dining, you won’t go hungry in Staunton. Start the day with coffee and pastries from Reunion Bakery or Magdalena Bake, which you can enjoy as you stroll around Gypsy Hill Park before your tour. The Frenchmen, which serves Cajun dishes from its dining room in the historic train station, is a good spot for lunch. Byers Street Bistro offers American fare and patio seating, and you can’t go wrong with a bowl or burrito from Chicano Boy.

After the garden tour, stroll over to Queen City Brewing for a craft beer or head back downtown to enjoy wine and snacks at Accordia or cocktails in the Staunton Junction Lounge. For dinner, we love the elevated and artistic cuisine at Maude and the Bear. We also recommend the seasonal dishes at Zynodoa and the Italian and Southern-style dishes at Queen City Bistro.

Inspired to Start Your Own Garden?

When I asked what advice she’d give a budding gardener, Nordstrom told me to “Start simple!” Zinnias are forgiving for beginners and “some of the new varieties have absolutely stunning colors and are huge – 5 inches across!” She said to select a spot that gets eight or more hours of sun and wait to plant until after the danger of frost passes (April 23^rd in Augusta County and Staunton). Air temperature should stay above 50°F at night and soil temperature is at least 60°F. Follow the seed packet planting directions and make sure to thin seedlings after the seeds germinate. A second and third planting will ensure summer-long blooming.

Nordstrom also recommends hardy geraniums, of which there are over 300 types. “They come back every spring and make a lovely border that takes little-to-no work. Plus, some blossom all summer long.” She suggested Backyard Garden Lover for easy plants. “And, regardless of what you choose to plant, just have a great time,” she says. “Digging in the dirt is fun!”