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Planning for Your Tour

• Call 804-262-9887 x322 to talk to a registrar and set up your tour of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden at least two weeks in advance.
• Tours are led by trained volunteer Garden Guides. They last between 1 hour and 1 ¼
  hours.
• We recommend one Garden Guide for every 15-20 people.
• Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. Transportation around the garden cannot be provided.
• Let us know a little about your group; it will allow us to provide a more suitable tour.

Click here for a printer-friendly guided tour pdf.

2010 Garden Tours

 

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden: An Introduction

Available Year Round

Explore the highlights of the Garden. Learn about the rich history of the site while visiting the 50 landscaped acres from the Asian Valley to the exciting new Rose Garden completed in 2008.

Each season brings new displays for visitors. Garden Guides will point out the most dramatic areas of the landscape from fragrant roses to remarkable pitcher plants. You will learn how the site has evolved over more than 100 years from an early bicycle club to a model farm and finally to the public garden of today.

The Heart of the Garden: an Introduction

Available Year Round

Explore the Central Garden closest to the Robins Visitor Center. Enjoy the Conservatory displays, the Sunken Garden, Healing Garden, and Four Seasons Garden. Visit the current exhibit in the Gallery space of the Education and Library complex.
All paths are flat and ramps are available. Benches and restrooms are conveniently located.

Garden Guides can pace the visit to suit your group. Abundant displays from orchids to artwork make this a rewarding visit without extensive walking. Groups are free to visit the rest of the garden at their own pace after the tour. Most paths are paved and benches are widely distributed.

Visit an Alluring Landscape Rich in Roses

Available May through October

Explore the splendid new Rose Garden with some 1,800 roses in more than 80 fragrant varieties. Learn how new cultivars and innovative growing techniques allow roses to thrive in Richmond’s challenging climate. Visit roses in the landscape climbing on arbors and gazebos, filling beds as ground covers, and providing lasting color in perennial beds.

Meandering paths invite visitors to bend over to inhale the myriad scents of the roses. A novel palette formed by sweeps of color gradations creates a vibrant visual experience. Garden Guides can explain some technical details not visible above ground including soil mix, irrigation, and adjoining filter garden.

 

Asian Valley Exploration

Available Year Round

Visit all the areas of the Asian Valley created by noted designer Osamu Shimizu. Learn how stones, water, and traditional plantings create serene beauty in all seasons.

 Japanese maples grow in amazing variety. Water flows through the whole area moving from still ponds through a rushing stream to a larger lake. Blue herons often complete the scene stalking the abundant fish.

Garden Guides point out some of the symbolism and significance of the design of this area. Every season reveals new displays: sculptural evergreens in winter, lavish peonies in spring, Japanese iris in summer, and a fall tapestry of glowing color as the Japanese maples are mirrored in the still water of the ponds.

Plant Personalities of Richmond Gardens

Available Year Round

Richmond retains a regional flavor, even today. Learn what features are a must for your garden to be “very Richmond”. Meet the top ten “stars” on the Richmond scene.

You might be surprised which plants are passed down through generations as timeless favorites. Richmond’s mild winters favor broadleaved evergreens. Sultry summers demand heat-tolerance in landscape choices like crape myrtles. Explore some of the newer varieties of plants adapted to the local climate that are included in the Garden’s 50 landscaped acres.

Glass Magic in the Garden

Available June 2010-January 10, 2011

Come experience over 100 glass sculptures by world famous flame-work glass artist Hans Godo Fräbel. Enjoy the full range of his imaginative works from whimsical figures to exquisite flowers mounted and reflected in pools and fountains. These exclusive tours—available only on a reserved basis—combine highlights of abundant seasonal bloom with interpretations of Fräbel’s creative genius.

 

 

Our World of Trees

Available beginning October 2010

They tower over us and outlive us by centuries. Hundreds of trees grace our Garden of over 80 acres. Come enjoy learning more about some of our landmark specimens and experience the variety of their bark, wood, flowers, roots, and even knees!  Tours visit many parts of the property and include seasonal highlights of the collection.