Our Guide to Historic Garden Week

Begin your day at a local farmers market where you can find starter plants, cut flowers, and small batch food products made from the bounty of the area. There are several options in the area including City Market and the Farmers Market at IX, located within walking distance of each other near the historic Downtown Mall.

If starting at the Scottsville Farmers Market, be sure to explore boutiques like We Grow and Scottsville Supply Company and the Ode to Spring exhibit at the Gallery on Valley in this historic pollinator community – the first official Bee City in Virginia.

In need of extra fortification? Swing by Simeon Market. Conveniently located between Monticello and Highland, this country market serves up coffee, breakfast, sandwiches, and baked goods. A perfect treat to start your day off right!

Tour Highland, the Albemarle County home of James Monroe, fifth president of the United States. Today, the property is a laboratory for historic research and interpretation as well as environmental stewardship. The landscape includes ornamental and utilitarian gardens, Colonial Revival boxwood gardens, and over 100 ash trees. Highland Rustic Trails system spans 4.5 miles of hiking trails through wooded hillsides, meadows, and stream banks. Check out Highland’s Museum Shop for unique gifts and honey from the Highland Bee Project.

Bonus Event
Garden Basics: Pollinator Plants: Great Flowering Native Plants for Beauty and the Bee
April 18, 10 AM – 12 PM at Highland
Learn how to use native plants to attract and support pollinators in your garden. Hosted by the Piedmont Master Gardeners, this program is free! But space is limited. Register as soon as possible.

Keep yourself energized with a hearty, Southern-style midday meal at nearby Michie Tavern c. 1784. The buffet, a local favorite for generations, is served 11:30 AM – 3 PM.

Or take a short drive to the tavern at Thistlerock Mead Company where you can enjoy a Scottish-Irish-inspired small plate menu and a mead and honey tasting. Walk through the regenerative flower farm on site. Cut-Your-Own tickets are $30 per person.

Spend the afternoon at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Your pre-purchased Albemarle-Charlottesville Historic Garden Week ticket provides you with a complimentary Grounds pass to Monticello, April 18 - 20.

In late April, the gardens at Monticello are bursting with tulips and spring ephemerals, early perennials, and fruit trees in bloom. The massive vegetable garden, measuring 1,000 feet by 800 feet, interprets the plantation’s garden from 1807 through 1814. Guided Gardens and Grounds tours share the stories of the free and enslaved people who planted and shaped the landscape “on the mountaintop” two centuries ago. These walking tours are offered at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 2 PM and last about 45 minutes.

Also allow time to explore meaningful outdoor spaces, such as Mulberry Row and the Contemplative Site.

Bonus Event
Peggy Cornett, Senior Curator of Plants, will be stationed in the vegetable garden at Monticello, at 1 PM and 3 PM to answer questions.

Enjoy dinner and Sake Sakura at North American Sake Brewery. This special event celebrates the cherry blossom season with cocktails, live music, and the reopening of NAS’ popular patio surrounded by container planters and large sculptures.

The Botanical Garden of the Piedmont is a work-in-progress, soon-to-become a 15-acre sustainable garden showcasing the natural landscape and flora. Parking is available on Melbourne Road, just adjacent to the garden. Dogs are welcome but please remember to leave no trace! The land is open dawn to dusk, and visitors can explore wooded trails, bird watch, and see recent stream restoration. You can find a trail map here.

Fuel up for the day with brunch at Birch & Bloom, located in the Kimpton Forum Hotel. The glass-enclosed L’Orangerie is surrounded by lush greenery with gorgeous views of the neighboring botanical garden and arboretum (which are open to the public). Complimentary valet parking is available when you dine.

Sunday’s Garden Week tour features two private properties with extensive gardens along Garth Road and in the White Hall-Crozet area.  You can visit the sites in any order between 10 AM and 5 PM. Be sure to stop at Tour Headquarters at White Hall Community Center to shop with local vendors, see native plant displays, and pick up a free sapling provided by Bartlett Tree Experts.

Expect horse and cattle farms, amazing mountain views, and lovely country drives as you travel along Garth Road and Route 810. Tour tickets are $50/person in advance and increase to $60/person on the day. Sales are online.

Discover boutique wineries like Knight’s Gambit, Grace Estate, and Fallen Tree. The tasting rooms at Oakencroft Farm and Winery and Stinson Vineyards will have special offers for Historic Garden Week ticketholders. Casual dining options in Crozet include Crozet Pizza, Fardowners, Pro Re Nata Brewery, and Smoked Kitchen & Tap.

Nearby Mint Springs Valley Park is a 520-acre park with restrooms, and ADA wheelchair-accessible fishing pier, trails for hiking and biking, and a playground!

Shop at The Barn Swallow, an artisan gallery that showcases handmade pottery, jewelry, and art. Spend time in their extensive flower garden, which surrounds the property with seasonal delights such as black parrot tulips and giant wine-colored alliums.

Grab breakfast at Bodo’s Bagels or Ivy Provisions (both local staples) before heading over to the University of Virginia.

Begin your day at The Dell, located across Emmet Street from the Central Grounds Parking Garage. More than just a meditative natural space in the middle of bustling student life, this 11-acre site manages runoff and improves the quality of water that feeds into Meadow Creek.

Take advantage of a guided tour of UVA’s Lawn and Pavilion Gardens, starting at 11 AM on the south steps of the Rotunda (Lawn side). This tour is limited to 25 participants, so arrive a couple minutes early. The Pavilions were designed by Thomas Jefferson and built between 1817 and 1826 as part of the original academical village. They are still used as residences for faculty and deans today. The surrounding Pavilion gardens were renovated in the 1950s and 60s, and historically served as workspaces, such as laundries, smokehouses, animal yards, and vegetable gardens. This work was done by enslaved people until 1865. UVA’s academical village is part of the World Heritage site designation by UNESCO. The Lower East Oval Room of the Rotunda houses an exhibit of historical artifacts and an early 18th century chemical hearth. Be sure to experience the Dome Room!

Carr’s Hill is home to UVA’s president and dates from 1909. The gardens will be open 11 AM – 3 pm, and the house will be open 1 PM – 3 pm.

Make a stop at the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, which honors the lives and legacies of the enslaved workers – estimated at 4,000 individuals – who built and maintained the University of Virginia for decades.

No ticket is required to participate in UVA activities and tours, whether self-guided or guided, and admission is free. The historic grounds of the University of Virginia are open to visitors year-round. The Pavilion Gardens, Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, and the Darden Arboretum are open to visitors all day.

Once you’re done at UVA, enjoy a healthy meal at Roots Natural Kitchen or Thyme & Co. on “the Corner”, the little restaurant district within walking distance of UVA Grounds.

Or get on the road for a quick drive to Morven. You can pause for lunch on-the-way at award-winning wineries, such as Eastwood Farm and Winery and Mount Ida Reserve. Both tasting rooms offer lunch menus highlighting seasonal ingredients.

Last owned by John Kluge and gifted to the University of Virginia in 2001, Morven is a hidden gem that is seldom open to the public. Tours are at your own pace, so you can leisurely enjoy the stunning mountain views and ask questions about specific plants. The original house dates from 1820. The grounds include formal parterres and cutting gardens renovated in the 1930s, large expanses of lawn, and centuries-old trees. Today, the property is part of UVA’s sustainability lab.

Heavy rains cancel the Morven tour, so tickets are only available “at the door”. $15 per person (cash or check only). To verify conditions, check Morven’s website.

Devote your day to greater exploration of Monticello – allow at least 2.5 hours – and points east of town.

Participate in one of Monticello’s specialty tours, such as Behind-the Scenes or Founding Friends, Founding Foes. Meet with Thomas Jefferson, portrayed by Bill Barker. He chats with visits at 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM. Weather permitting, you can see Archaeology in Action, Monday – Friday at 11 AM and 1 PM. Visit the exhibits at Monticello’s David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center, recently updated in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Pick up a Virginia 250 Passport to inspire travel to other historic sites and gardens throughout the state, throughout 2026.

Eat and Plant Shop at Monticello
Vegetables, herbs, and fruit grown at Monticello are often used at the on-site Café and in small-batch food products available for purchase in The Shop at Monticello. The Center for Historic Plants, at nearby Tufton Farm, grows both native and heirloom plants, including all offered for sale at Monticello’s gift shop.

Head to the nearby Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, whose art exhibits are deeply rooted in the Australian landscape, flora, and fauna. They offer free guided tours at 10:30AM and 1:30PM, which take approximately 30 minutes. Reservations are encouraged but not required.

One more garden tour...
If you have time, adjacent to the Kluge-Ruhe are the gardens at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital. The hospital’s stunning 56-acre campus offers public walking trails and gorgeous flowering trees and flowers. The property is free to visit.

The menu at Marigold by Jean-Georges focuses on organic, seasonal ingredients. Its location at Keswick Hall is surrounded by well-maintained gardens and inventive container plantings. Reservations encouraged.

Start your day with a walk to the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial. Situated in the southeast corner of McIntire Park – the largest green space in the city of Charlottesville – this memorial was one of the first in the nation to permanently remember those killed in the Vietnam War. The walk to the Memorial, through a newly planted arboretum of native trees, is about 1.5 miles roundtrip from the main parking lot at McIntire Park. Look for bluebirds and birds of prey.

Recently added to the National Register of Historic Places, the Downtown Mall was designed by internationally known landscape architect Lawrence Halprin between 1973 and 1976. Fifty years later, willow oaks tower over outdoor cafes, and container gardens brighten storefronts and corners.

Eat Downtown
Embrace your inner flower power at restaurants like Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, Botanical, Petit Pois, Farmacy Café, The Conservatory, and Camellias Bar & Roastery. The name says it all!

View Fine + Flowers
Make time for beautiful floral art at Second Street Gallery as well as an exhibit of lush landscapes by local artist Giselle Gautreau.

Shop for gifts
--Stop by Caspari’s flagship store for floral-inspired stationery and home goods.
--The Botanique & Co offers unique, zero-waste gift ideas.
--Hedge Fine Blooms has the feel of a European flower atelier.
--Magpie Knits is a paradise for those who love all things yarn!
--Visit Waxwing Art Works, a small gallery and studio focused on the art of birds and landscapes.
--Head to McIntire Plaza and Poppypointe for the area’s largest selection of needlepoint supplies.

If you are shopping for plants or just ideas, here are some of our favorite local garden centers. Knowledgeable staff at each of these businesses can help you find plants you love and advise on how to bring greater joy to your environment… whether your own garden is several acres of land or just a few pots on the patio!

--Ivy Nursery and Ivy Creek Garden Center sell a stunning selection of annuals, perennials, and woody plants, as well as botanically inspired gifts for your home and life.
--Snow’s Garden Center is known for its wide array of shrubs and small trees like viburnums, azaleas, hydrangeas, and Japanese maples.
--Elzroth & Thompson grows many plants on site.
--Both locations of Blue Ridge Farmers Co-Op have inventories of both traditional and unusual plants, particularly edibles and native cultivars. Their selection rotates frequently!
--Fifth Season Gardening has a fun assortment of houseplants, herbs, and hydroponic and homebrew supplies.
--Hummingbird Hill Native Plant Nursery, located in Free Union, is committed to “growing local genotype native plants specifically for counteracting habitat loss and strengthening native plant populations”. They sell specifically to people who are interested in creating habitat corridors in Central Virginia and parts of the Shenandoah Valley. If this fits your gardening goals, schedule a visit to the nursery.

While traveling between garden centers, make a pitstop at Bellair Place. This interior design district includes popular shops like Be Just, Helen Storey Antiques, and The Shade Shop with beautiful accessories to bring nature into your home.