Working Among Flowers

Mary Prince Lewis 804-678-9750 mlewis@hovtour.com www.hovtour.com

Tour of Private Homes & Gardens Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Agecroft Hall Gardens Edible Flower Luncheon

Richmond’s gardens burst with color in the springtime and during the first week in April some of the finest

private homes and gardens are open during Virginia Garden Week. Come tour some of Richmond’s best

gardens, both private and public, visit museums, enjoy live theater and shop along the Mile of Style.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Walk among flowers at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, USA Today’s

Readers Choice as the #2 Public Garden in North America. A guided walking

tour takes you through a dozen gardens covering 50 acres including the formal

Central Garden and the Asian Valley, with iris and Asian native plantings.

Inspect a variety of plants from rare orchids to pitcher plants in the only

domed conservatory in the Mid- Atlantic.

Richmond Canal Cruise Listen to the stories and learn about this “River City” on a 1 hour boat ride

along Richmond’s historic canal walk. Richmond’s Canal System began in

1789 after George Washington lobbied the General Assembly to fund his

vision for a canal that would take goods into the Ohio Valley.

Richmond Trolley Tour Richmond is simply one of America’s most historic cities. Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln have walked its

cobblestone streets. It was here (and not Boston or Philadelphia) that Patrick Henry fanned the flames of

revolution with his “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” speech. Two American presidents are buried in

Hollywood Cemetery. This 45-minute tour will reveal a city filled with surprises.

Mary Prince Lewis 804-678-9750 mlewis@hovtour.com www.hovtour.com

Working Among Flowers

Shopping and Lunch in Carytown Voted “Best Neighborhood to Shop In” by Southern Living Magazine readers,

this eclectic shopping and dining district presents over a hundred specialty

shops and a wide array of culinary experiences to enjoy on your first day in

Richmond. Dine alfresco for lunch on one of the many café patios. Discover

the one-of-a-kind gifts along this “Mile of Style” experience. Wear

comfortable shoes as walking is a part of the fun.

Edgar Allan Poe Museum Poe is one of the most celebrated writers in the English language and he spent

significant portions of his childhood, adolescence and adult life here in

Richmond. The Poe Museum is housed in the city’s oldest surviving structure

with an Enchanted Garden designed directly from Poe’s poem To One in

Paradise. Look for plants mentioned in his literary works along garden walls,

paths, pergolas and benches made of salvaged materials from buildings where

Poe lived or worked.

Agecroft Hall: 16th Century English Gardens Here is a rare chance to tour an original English Elizabethan Tudor-style home

without the plane trip across the Atlantic. Agecroft Hall was built in

Lancashire County, England, in the late 15th century. Purchased, dismantled

and shipped across the Atlantic to be assembled on Thomas Williams family

estate, it stands today as a symbol of our Elizabethan past, furnished as it might

have been in the 15th century and featuring English style gardens. Meet the on-

Dinner Theater at Swift Creek Mill Historic Swift Creek Mill now serves delightfully as a dinner theater. Enjoy a

delicious meal and then sit back and enjoy professional theater in this historic

space.

Mary Prince Lewis 804-678-9750 mlewis@hovtour.com www.hovtour.com

Working Among Flowers

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts The VMFA has taken its place among the top US art museums by

hosting some of the world’s most sought-after touring exhibits

including Picasso, Chihuly, and Tiffany. In 2015 it was the only

American facility to host China’s Treasures of the Forbidden City

exhibit. The VMFA’s own permanent collection consists of 33,000

works of art spanning 5,000 years with works by great master artists

in American, British Sporting, Impressionist, Post-Impressionist,

Modern and Contemporary art. Its Art Nouveau, Art Deco, English

Silver, Faberge and South Asian collections are the finest in the

nation.

Edible Flowers Lunch Edible Flowers and herb varieties are part of a menu specially created for you by Chef Greg Haley, Master

Chef at the VMFA’s Amuse Restaurant. Served in the museum’s elegant Marble Hall, named for its

spectacular pink Veronese marble walls and center columns, your menu will included only locally sourced

foods and fresh edible flowers

Historic Garden Week (last week in April only) Each year during the last week in April some of the finest private

homes and gardens in Virginia open their doors and garden gates to

welcome the public in an event some call “America’s largest open

house.” Virginia’s Historic Garden Week began in 1927 and has

since hosted millions of visitors who come to see gorgeous floral

arrangements inside the homes and the lavish gardens outside. The

weather is at the peak of its Spring glory—the perfect time to enjoy

the traditional beauty of Virginia.