5 Spring Garden Tours Across the U.S. Outdoors

​5 Gorgeous Spring Garden Tours Across the U S

Stroll through a sea of blossoms at these top sites

hsvrs/Getty Images Across the country, the arrival of spring brings bright floral landscapes. These five annual garden tours offer particularly lovely opportunities to enjoy spring’s blossoming. of

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Mount Vernon Washington

April 1-30
“The Pacific Northwest is a ‘Goldilocks’ zone for tulips,” says Cindy Verge, executive director of the , held annually in the Skagit Valley, 60 miles north of Seattle. The area, about the same latitude as the Netherlands, is home to some 350 acres of tulips, which grow beautifully in this coastal climate. The self-guided driving tour of the tulip fields takes about 30 minutes, but you can also walk through the rows of brilliant flowering bulbs. Festival stops include RoozenGaarde, Tulip Town and the tour’s newest addition, Garden Rosalyn. While the three show gardens are very different, all showcase commercial growers who plant millions of tulips. You can download a festival map from the website as well as a brochure for specific events. Due to the pandemic, attendance may be limited. Buy timed tickets in advance for RoozenGaarde ($15), Tulip Town ($10 for ages 12 and up, $5 for ages 6–11, free for kids 5 and under; admission includes a trolley ride) and Garden Rosalyn ($12). All three sites have free parking. At Tulip Town you can also buy special passes so you can learn how to cut your own bouquet or that give you access to the fields during morning and evening hours, which are ideal for photography. of

Garden Club of Virginia s Historic Garden Week destinations across Virginia

April 23–30 The Garden Club of Virginia’s , a tradition since 1927 (except 2020, when it was canceled because of COVID-19), is the only statewide house and garden tour in the country. For eight consecutive days when blooms are at their peak in the region, 128 private gardens in 25 communities across Virginia — from the foothills of the Shenandoah Valley to the beaches of Tidewater — will showcase private landscapes, public gardens and historic sites through tours hosted by member clubs. Some of the 28 featured tours will offer outdoor demonstrations or porch talks on such topics as floral design and composting, so you can plot your daily itinerary according to your interests. Tickets prices vary by destination; find details, including a downloadable guidebook, on the club’s website. of

Charleston Glorious Garden Tour and the 2022 Festival of Houses & Gardens Charleston South Carolina

Fridays, March 16–April 9 Charleston is known for formal gardens that feature year-round greenery and flowers ranging from azaleas to camellias, magnolias, hydrangeas, jessamines and roses. But in springtime, the city offers an especially lush display, often in elegant settings. This year, the 75th celebrates the gardens, history, culture and architecture of this beloved Southern city. The festival includes the popular Glorious Garden Tour of Charleston’s Old and Historic District, featuring visits to up to seven private gardens on four Fridays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tour guides will show you the fragrant blooms and offer plenty of information on garden design, horticulture and the history of the stately houses. Tickets, purchased online, are $75 per person, with proceeds benefiting the Historic Charleston Foundation. Known for formal gardens that feature year-round greenery and flowers ranging from azalea to camellia, magnolia, hydrangea, jessamine and roses, Charleston in springtime offers an especially lush display, often in elegant settings. This year, celebrates the gardens, history, culture and architecture of this beloved Southern city, with guided tours in the Old and Historic District on four Fridays. Each day includes a stroll of four to six gardens from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The guides will show you the fragrant blooms and offer background on the history and architectural features of the stately houses where they’re cultivated. Tickets are $75 per person, with proceeds benefiting Historic Charleston Foundation. Check the website for more details and to purchase tickets.
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Beyond the Garden Gates Garden Tour Frederick Maryland

May 21–May 22 Frederick, founded as a German settlement in 1745, is a must-see in spring. The city, just an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C., is a treat for history buffs, who can spend hours strolling the 40-block-long historic downtown district lined with 18th- and 19th-century buildings. But Frederick is also home to the , featuring a walking tour of public and private gardens in the charming heart of the city at a time when it’s beautifully bedecked in blossoms. The tour winds through or beside 15 public spaces, parks and buildings, including a few tucked-away gems, all fashionably festooned in spring florals. As you go, you can hear live music and watch plein air artists at work. Register online starting in mid-April. Daily hours are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 on the day of your visit. of

2022 Mary Lou Heard Garden Tour Long Beach California

April 30–May 1 Mary Lou Heard was a passionate local horticulturalist who created a garden tour in 1994 to highlight the small gardens cultivated by local homeowners. Every year brings more fans to this self-guided of “real gardens by real people,” tucked into Long Beach’s neighborhoods. This year’s event includes 30 home gardens, 12 of them new to the tour. Some standouts: a whimsical fairy garden and a Mediterranean paradise transformed from an overgrown patch of weeds. No tickets are required for this two-day event (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), but donation jars are set up at each of the locations, with funds going to the Sheepfold, a shelter that helps women in crisis. Download the tour guide from the website (available in April).

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