15 Minutes in Grace Arents Garden: Flashback to Victorian Times
The white arch with climbing roses is one of the elements that creates a Victorian-style garden.
by Hannah Lindquist, PR & Marketing Intern, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Sunny, breezy, and temperatures in the mid-80s made for a very enjoyable “15 Minutes in the Garden” last week. A group of volunteers and staff took a break from our work to gather under a shady tree to listen to Horticulturist, Elizabeth Fogel teach us a little more about the Grace Arents Garden. I wish it could have been longer to enjoy the beautiful weather and learn more about the Garden’s history.
With the Garden’s mission being education, it’s no surprise that I find myself learning something new here every day. Fogel explained that the Grace Arents Garden is an elegant, Victorian-style garden.
Gazebo at the end of one-of-four brick paths leading from the center of Grace Arents Garden, giving the garden symmetry, another element adding to its Victorian-style.
What qualities distinguish a Victorian-style garden, exactly? Well, if you walk through this area outside of Bloemendaal House, you will notice its formal symmetry, arbors covered in climbing roses, and boxwood hedges along the outskirts. Each of these elements along with “old-fashioned” blooms, like roses and peonies, allow you to feel as if you have gone back in time to the early 1900’s.
The Grace Arents Garden was restored by The Garden Club of Virginia in the early 1990s based on its original design. With its open lawn space, beautiful structures, and wide variety of vibrant flowers, this area of the Garden is a favorite for weddings and hosts our Flowers After 5 events on Thursday evenings in June, July and August.
Join us this Thursday at 5 p.m. and enjoy live music by The Roger Pouncey Trio on the Grace Arents Garden lawn. Bring a blanket and enjoy beer, wine and dining al fresco and take a stroll through the Garden.
Thursday, August 14 bring your furry friends with you for our last Fidos After 5 of the summer. On this special night leashed dogs are allowed and a $2 admissions fee is suggested to help benefit the Richmond SPCA.