Garden Week in Virginia

Yesterday was the start of Historic Garden Week in Virginia sponsored by the Garden Club of Virginia.  If you live in Virginia, be sure to see if there is a tour in your area.  (Be sure to click on the first link.  It is a slide show of houses featured all over Virginia.)

My mom and I went on the Staunton tour on Saturday.  Unfortunately, it poured rain, but it didn’t stop us.  Umbrellas in tow, we saw five houses in the Newtown area of Staunton which is actually Staunton’s oldest neighborhood.

I had a minor hissy fit when we arrived in Staunton and I realized that I had forgotten my camera.  Interior pictures are not allowed, so I guess I really didn’t miss too many photo opportunities, especially since the rain prohibited us from really admiring the gardens.  I did have my phone and captured a few photos to share with it.

The first home that we toured is an 1895 Queen Anne.  It was renovated in 2006 and serves as not only as a home but as an art gallery for one of the homeowners.

(Source)

The second home was constructed in 1904 and is in “Folk Victorian” Style.  It was restored in 2010 from apartments into a single family home.  Mama and I both liked this house, particularly the kitchen.

I forgot to take a picture of the third home that we toured.  This 1797 home is one of the oldest homes in Staunton.  One of the homeowners is an art professor and the other a fabulous woodworker.  Several of the homes on the tour featured his work.  The house originally looked as pictured below but looks nothing like this now.  (Honestly, people should have left it alone over the years!)

The fourth house is still being renovated.  The homeowners are doing a fabulous job and I’d love to see it again when they are finished with their work.

We always love it when we unintentionally save the best for last.  I so much wanted to photograph the interior of this home.  Our favorite in this home were the many Czech chandeliers.  This Italianate was built in 1874, was converted to six apartments in the mid-twentieth century, and was returned to a single-family home in 2001 by the homeowners.  This home has a pretty garden behind it, but we missed out on touring it because of the rain.

Note the original white oak flower and bow carved woodwork over the front door.

It kills me that the garden club ladies spend hours making beautiful arrangements for these homes and photographs are not allowed.  It seems a shame not to be able to photograph the arrangements.  I understand not photographing the homes, but I sure would like to enjoy pictures of the arrangements later on (or even attempt to copy them).  I ran across one new garden club member who was tickled pink when I admired her work.  She allowed me to take pictures.  (Shhh… don’t tell!)

I’m still kicking myself for forgetting my camera….

My next tour will be in Lynchburg on Tuesday.  The weather looks great for this tour and I won’t forget my camera this time!