Behind the Scenes at Virginia Historic Garden Week
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[Post Updated 2023]
Virginia Historic Garden Week Tours will be held April 15 through 22nd in 2023.
Part 3 of 4 in our series “Behind-the-Scenes at Virginia Historic Garden Week”, today we’ll find out how the homes and communities, selected by Garden Club of Virginia, prepare for the tours. If you missed our previous posts, you can find them here:
All You Need to Know About Historic Garden Week – Part 1
Selecting Homes for Historic Garden Week – Part 2
Part 3 of 4:
Remember that many of the answers in these posts were provided directly in a written interview with Adele. She was the Chairperson for the tour hosted by the Garden Club of Middle Peninsula, so you’ll see her name, like this, [Adele] next to the information in those cases.
What’s the Timeline for Preparing a Home for the Tour?
[Adele] We generally have the homes in place at least one year before the tour. There are some clubs who have their homes decided 2 years in advance. The homeowners then can do whatever they want to get ready.
Does the Garden Club of Virginia Help with Set-up and Clean-up?
[Adele] The day before the tour, our club meets at the houses to make the floral arrangements for the tour. If available, we try to use as many of the homeowners’ containers and vases as possible. That way we can leave the lovely arrangements for them to enjoy after the tour. We assist the homeowner if there’s a need to move furniture or do some task that hasn’t been completed, but 99% of the time the homeowners are ready for the tour. When we leave at the end of the day before the tour, any mess that we’ve made is cleaned up.
On the day of the tour, the only “mess” we make is in one room we call the Hospitality Room – a place where our guides can go to get something to drink or nibble on throughout the day. Of course, that room is cleaned when we leave. Other than that, there is little to clean up and we’re able to leave the home within 30-45 minutes after the tour is over with the house ready to host a party!
What Happens to all the Floral Arrangements?
[Adele] Unless the arrangements were made in a club member’s valuable antique silver urn that belonged to her great-grandmother, Bessie, and she wants to take it home, then the arrangements stay with the homeowner.
How Can I Sell my Products if a Club is Hosting a Marketplace?
Not all Historic Garden Week tours have a Marketplace. The Marketplaces differ from tour to tour, so it’s best to contact the Chairperson of the tour where you’d like to participate. Or contact the GCV Headquarters and ask which tour locations are offering marketplaces.
Can my Company Sponsor a Virginia Historic Garden Week Tour?
[Adele] Be still my foolish heart! I think I would weep for joy if I had a company ask me that question. We’re constantly asking for sponsors to help with the costs of running a tour. All a company has to do is contact the HGW Chairperson and sit back to appreciate all the kind words they’ll say. The sponsoring company’s name will appear on all printed material, from brochures to tickets to news and magazine articles. A club might even find some other way to let the guests know of the generosity of the sponsor(s).
How Can I Sell HGW Tickets at my Business?
[Adele] If possible, it’s best to ask early on in the game, since the Club would like to publish the business’ information in the guidebook. The article that goes in the big state guidebook must be in the hands of the staff at GCV by late September. Contact your local Garden Club to see if your location can still be added as a ticket outlet. If not this year, next year may be a possibility.
If you love gardening, floral arrangements, history, and architecture, consider the Garden Club of Virginia Historic Garden Week the next time you’re searching for things to do in Virginia.
Next in the Series:
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Part 4 – How You Can Participate in Historic Garden Week
Just one more post to go in this series. Leave a reply below if you have questions that haven’t been answered yet. You can also sign up to get our posts by email, so you don’t miss anything!
What’s your involvement in Garden Club of Virginia Historic Garden Week and what do you love most about it? It’s hard to believe that thousands of visitors have been enjoying these tours for more the 85 years!
