Historic Garden Day In Lynchburg: Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Each spring on Garden Day, visitors are invited to tour unforgettable homes and gardens at the peak of Virginia’s springtime color. Take a peek inside the local homes featured on this year’s tour and be inspired by fabulous flower arrangements created by Garden Club of Virginia members. Proceeds from Garden Day fund the restoration and preservation of our state’s significant historic public gardens.
1108 Greenway Court
Built in 1955, this Cape Cod is full of warm and inviting color. The living room features a mantel handcrafted by the owner as well as an heirloom Lyon and Healy piano. The den, ornamented with local artwork, features the owner’s grandfather’s desk and a custom bar. The kitchen was thoughtfully remodeled in 2007 and features a comfortable sitting area with a fireplace that overlooks an enchanting cottage garden accented with dwarf boxwood, a stone patio and multi-level stone walls. The entire front yard was reimagined following the loss of three large trees in the derecho storm. It features boxwoods of all sizes and azaleas, adding pops of vivid color.
Open for the first time. Sue and Garry Ford.
1534 Rivermont Avenue
Built in 1900 by local grocer John E. Wills, this Colonial Revival house has been lovingly restored. The striking wood framed house is painted Knoxville gray and has white framing. A large porch leads into the house, where art deco and art nouveau pieces add to the ambience of each room. Family treasures are mixed in effortlessly among modern artwork created by the owner.
Outside, the garden evokes feelings of being in Charleston, SC. Under every archway and through every gate is a garden waiting to be explored from brick-lined pathways. Hostas, ferns, iris and viburnum fill the yard and arborvitae provides a privacy screen. The highlight of the backyard is a circular brick patio with a koi pond in the center. Two Chippendale benches provide seating for this serene area.
Open for the first time. Don Lee and Brad Palte
1415 Northwood Circle
This mid-century brick ranch-style home is a treasure trove of beautiful gardens and artwork. The interior of the house features a striking living room with a bay window. It is brimming with a lovely collection of Herend porcelain and above the mantel is a stunning painting by Kitty Gibson. The den features a collection of sporting prints and etchings and a 1751 map of Virginia by Jefferson and Fry. The formal dining room leads to a bright and cheery sunroom at the back corner of the house where interior walls are adorned with works by local artists.
Outside, directly off of the greenstone patio, dogwood, peonies, hydrangea and daffodils punctuate the landscape. Climbing hydrangeas cover the garage and a rose-covered arbor leads into a formal garden highlighted by columnar boxwood and crepe myrtle. Additionally, there is a shade garden of hostas, Lenten rose, rhododendrons and azalea. Numerous stone walkways provide excellent vantage points to more closely view the dramatic plantings.
Open for the first time. Mary Jane and Bill Hobbs.
203 Colonial Court
A life-size statue of a young girl with outstretched arms—a reminder of the owners’ three granddaughters—welcomes visitors to this c. 1927 bungalow designed by Lynchburg architects Clark and Crowe. A brick pathway leads to the porch, flanked by large-scale Doric columns, stone urns and French-inspired scrollwork garden benches.
The linear porch opens into the living room, where a mix of comfortable furnishings is grouped informally around the frequently-used fireplace. Harmonious gray walls are carried throughout the house and provide a perfect backdrop for local and original American artwork, rustic baskets, and antique American furniture. The owners share a love for Simon Pearce glassware, antique silver, oversized rustic chandeliers and French linen. The original dining room has been converted to a parlor and is often used for casual meals. The former den is now a spacious dining room that routinely seats twelve or more guests and is nestled next to the kitchen.
In 2012 a detached garage was transformed into an outdoor dining area with crisp white canvas curtains and a provincial dining table and chairs, reminiscent of an outdoor café in Paris. The outdoor dining space spills onto a garden area filled with young Leland Cypress trees that will eventually enclose the existing garden filled with dogwoods and fig trees that easily mingle with azaleas, peonies and boxwood. Charming window boxes filled with annuals add seasonal interest.
Open for the first time. Mary Ann and Bill Booz.
1513 Linden Avenue
Built in 1964, this white frame house is a celebration of color, both inside and out. The owners, one of whom is a portrait artist, have achieved a comfortable and colorful palette. The house has a casual mix of transitional, informal and family heirlooms. Of particular interest are pieces from the owner’s childhood home in Tehran, including his mother’s cherished prayer rug. Additionally, there is a great deal of original art in the house, created by local, national and international artists. The styles are a mix of traditional, impressionistic and modern.
The artistic owners have used their love of bright colors and color combinations throughout the quaint cottage garden. Deutzia, ageratum, dianthus, Jacob’s ladder, Iceland poppies, peonies, azaleas, boxwood, hellebores, pieris japonica, tulips, pansies, knock-out roses and dogwood all add to the splendor of this masterpiece that has taken the owners fifteen years to achieve.
Open for the first time: Pat and Farshid Shahrokhi
Other special places to visit on Garden Day:
Anne Spencer House and Garden, Awareness Garden, Miller-Claytor Gardens and House, Oakwood Country Club, Old City Cemetery, Point of Honor, Sandusky, Sweet Briar House, The Academy of Fine Arts, The Farm Basket and Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest.
