Petersburg Garden Club hosts Historic Garden Week event: Tour beautiful homes, gardens
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VIRGINIA — The 2023 Historic Garden Week in Virginia is just around the bed of daffodils. Do not wait until the last minute to purchase tickets for the Garden Club of Virginia's 90th annual fundraiser.
“Virginia is especially beautiful in April, and visitors—whether from Virginia or other parts of the country—love to explore the wonderful variety of homes and gardens opened especially for Historic Garden Week,” Debbie Lewis, president of the Garden Club of Virginia [GCV], said.
Ticket holders enjoy hospitality extended by GCV members at beautiful private homes, gardens and historic properties throughout the state April 15 - 22. The Petersburg: Prince George County tour is hosted by the Petersburg Garden Club on Tuesday, April 18 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The historic Flowerdew Hundred, one of the three properties featured on the Petersburg tour, graces the cover of the Historic Garden Week 2023 guidebook.
Prince George: Flowerdew Hundred
Established in 1619 by Sir George Yeardley, Flowerdew Hundred was named after his wife, Temperance Flowerdew. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
The important events which have taken place at the historical property include the following: survival of the 1622 Indian Massacre, shelling during the Revolutionary War, James River crossing of Grant’s Army of the Potomac via a pontoon bridge, the excavation of important artifacts, and site of the first windmill in America. The current manor house was built between 1990-1999 and features master craftsmanship throughout.
The current owners, Jeff and Ashley Oakley, have made thoughtful updates and plan to open the property for public and private events. Flowerdew Hundred, the Petersburg: Prince George County tour headquarters, is located at 1800 Flowerdew Hundred Rd.
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Disputanta: Aberdeen
Built between 1794-1810, the historic Aberdeen home remains practically the same. Original authentic woodwork, colors and period furniture grace each room. The entrance is unique in that the foyer extends horizontally the width of the home with exterior doors at each end.
Known as a typical planter’s home, the fields in front of the home as well as the owners’ vineyard have been continuously farmed since soil modifications were made by Edmund Ruffin, “the father of scientific farming.” The home has been in the Marks family since 1884, and the family has retained the authenticity of the Federal period.
Aberdeen, owned by Carol Marks Bowman and Dr. Christopher Stevenson, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located at 15301 James River Dr.
Disputanta: Martin’s Brandon Church
The original church parish was organized in a pasture at nearby Brandon Plantation between 1613-1618. Today, the current congregation meets in its fourth location.
Located in the village of Burrowsville, the 1856 church holds its prized artifacts: the silver baptismal bowl, an English silver communion chalice and paten, believed to be the third oldest in the country, and the 1873 Erben pipe organ. This organ is one of only 52 manufactured and is only one of three that remains in its original location.
Tourists will admire two Tiffany windows which were given and placed in the sanctuary in 1935. The church, registered as a Virginia Historic Landmark, is located at 18709 James River Dr.
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Petersburg: Prince George County home/garden tour
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.: Lady Temperance Flowerdew Yeardley, wife of the 17th century Governor George Yeardley will be interpreted by Ms. Kerry Elizabeth McClure throughout the day at Flowerdew Hundred.
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.: Native Plant Sale at Burrowsville Community Center hosted by Good Seed Natives at 18701 James River Drive
10:15 - 10:45 a.m.: First Lady of Virginia, Suzanne S. Youngkin, speaks about "Strengthening the Spirit of Virginia’s Women and Girls” at Flowerdew Pavilion
11 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Complimentary tea on Flowerdew terrace
11 a.m.: Karen Burrow Rickman organ concert at the church
11:30 a.m.: Ed Hatch, award-winning local artist, plein air painting at the church
1 - 2 p.m.: Jack Abeel, custom woodworker, master craftsman and builder of Flowerdew Hundred Manor House, “The House that Jack Built” in the Flowerdew Pavilion
2 - 4 p.m. Hatch's studio open at 18817 James River Dr.
2:30 - 3:30 p.m.: Meg Kennedy, curator of special collections at UVA, presents “Clues to America’s Past," Flowerdew artifacts in the Flowerdew Pavilion
Visitors are encouraged to visit the following nearby places of interest: Centre Hill Museum at 1 Centre Hill Avenue in Petersburg, Prince George Regional Heritage Center at 6406 Courthouse Road in Prince George and Weston Manor at 400 Weston Lane in Hopewell.
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Cockade City Garden Club: Luncheon
A luncheon sponsored by the Cockade City Garden Club will be served at Martin’s Brandon Church from 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. The delicious affair which benefits the Historic Blandford Cemetery includes a continuous fashion show and geranium sale. The meal includes chicken salad, three-bean salad, fruited Jell-O salad, a roll, a beverage and a slice of lemon supreme cake for dessert.
Luncheon tickets are $14 each and must be purchased in advance at Palmore Decorating Center at 1927 S. Sycamore St. in Petersburg, Boulevard Flower Gardens at 2120 Ruffin Mill Rd. in Chesterfield and Ms Hairstyling at 3924 S. Crater Rd. in Petersburg or from Linda Wynne.
Geraniums [pink, white, red, purple and salmon, $6.75 each] must be ordered in advance. Contact Linda Wynne via wynne1701@gmail.com or 804-399-5258 to purchase geraniums and/or luncheon tickets.
BBQ Bliss will be another lunch option. They will be ready to feed hungry tourists at the Salem United Methodist Church parking lot at 19801 James River Drive in Disputanta, adjacent to the Ed Hatch studio. Check out menu options and pricing at BBQ Bliss Catering & More on Facebook.
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GCV: 90th Historic Garden Week
“Historic Garden Week has been held annually since 1929 except for a period during World War II and in 2020 during the pandemic,” Fran Carden, the current chair of Historic Garden Week, explained. “Our members take pride in sharing warm hospitality and beautiful flower arrangements through this popular springtime tradition.”
The GCV orchestrates access to more than 100 private homes and gardens and dozens of partner sites each year, organized as 29 distinct tours taking place over eight consecutive days in communities across Virginia. The Executive Mansion in Richmond is also included in the 2023 event. These tours attract some 26,000 visitors yearly. Economic impact studies estimate that the GCV’s cumulative impact over more than 50 years exceeds $518 million.
Historic Garden Week 2023 guidebooks, while supplies last, are available for free at the AAA in Colonial Heights, Hopewell/Prince George Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center in Hopewell, Boulevard Flowers at Ruffin Mill in Chesterfield and in Petersburg at The Oak Antique Mall, Abigail's Antiques and Dixie Restaurant. The Petersburg: Prince George County tour information can be found on pages 196-199.
To view the guidebook online and to purchase tickets [$40 per person/$50 per person day of tour] visit VAGardenWeek.org. Proceeds fund the restoration of historic public gardens and landscapes in Virginia as well as two research fellowships in landscape architecture.
For more information, contact Co-Chairmen Kathy Hayes and Jo Anne Davis at petersburg@vagardenweek.org. Visit Historic Garden Week in Petersburg on Facebook and follow on Instagram @historicgardenweekpetersburg.
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This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg Garden Club hosts home, garden tour: Historic Garden Week
