Around Town

Chatham Garden Club Hosts Historic Garden Day At Smith Mountain Lake
For the first time since the early 1990s, Smith Mountain Lake will have waterfront homes for sale and namely their gardens available on tour during Virginia’s Historic Garden Week. The Chatham Garden Club is hosting tours of three homes and gardens located in The Water’s Edge community in Penhook on Friday, April 24. House styles include an Old World farmhouse, a French Country house, and a river plantation house, each with magnificent lake and garden views. Here is a brief preview of what you can look forward to seeing on the tour.

The Davenport House, 240 Island View Drive
This “Old World farmhouse” has a feeling of age and charm. The great room is warm, with light from lakeside floor-to-
ceiling windows and heart pine floors. Artwork and artifacts collected from around the world contribute to the home’s Old World ambiance.

The lower level houses a bar, European wine cellar and movie theater. Garden areas fill the waterfront, from dock to natural beach, and add to the stunning view of the lake from the home’s covered porches and French Country railings.

The Ferguson house, 5 Lands End Road
This large white brick house, where magnolias and white crape myrtles line the approach, resembles a James River plantation home. English boxwood surround the gardens filled with peonies, hydrangeas, astilbe, hosta, sweetspire and daffodils.

A stairwell in the foyer rises to a large loft consisting of four bedrooms that circle an intimate den overlooking the living room. Antiques with family stories combine with artwork and beloved toys to reinforce the feel of permanence at this gracious home.

The Lee House, 15 Lands End Road
This French Country-style house offers beautiful lake views from the windows, covered porches, verandas and dock. Artwork—including French antiques, oil paintings, mosaic tiles, Limoges boxes, family portraits, and
a Chagall lithograph—graces the home throughout.

A moss-topped stone wall and walkway leads to the dock and features gardens with Solomon’s seal, hellebore, hosta, jonquils, pachysandra and liriope. Beside the dock is a children’s mini-beach with fire pits for s’mores, small Adirondack chairs with beach umbrellas, and stone steps leading to the water.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit vagardenweek.org.

Garden Festival Educates and Entertains
The Hill City Master Gardener Association will host its 15th annual Festival of Gardening at the Aviary in Miller Park on Saturday, May 2. Throughout the day, Master Gardeners will lead demonstrations and educational seminars, and answer all your gardening questions. The Master Gardeners are a group of volunteer educators for the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service who have completed 50 hours of classroom training plus 50 internship hours. The event will be held rain or shine, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information about the festival, or to learn how to become a Master Gardener yourself, visit www.hcmga.com.

Luncheon Benefits Miriam’s House
Miriam’s House, a local nonprofit organization that serves local homeless women and families, will host its 16th annual fundraising luncheon on Tuesday, May 19 at the Burton Dining Hall at Lynchburg College. This annual fundraising event includes a noontime meal and an inspirational talk about the women and families who have benefitted from the support of programs at Miriam’s House. For more information about the luncheon, or about Miriam’s House, visit www.miriamshouseprogram.org.