Tour Schedule December 2023 – April 2024

GARDENFEST OF LIGHTS BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOURS IN-PERSON

3pm Behind-the-Scenes Tour: December 5 FULL OR December 19

4:30pm Behind-the-Scenes Tour: December 5 FULL OR December 19

Are you curious to know what really goes into creating GardenFest at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and especially how the themed light forms are created? Join Garden Guide Bob Lincoln on an excursion to the basement of the Kelly Education Center to see how and where the magic happens. Then take a guided tour around the Garden to see this year’s “basement buddy” creations and hear stories about how previous theme’s forms have been recycled and reused throughout the years.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY Gardenfest of Lights Behind-the-Scenes Tour | December 20

Join Garden Guide Lorrie Lincoln on an excursion to the basement of the Kelly Education Center to see how and where the magic happens. Take a guided tour around the Garden with your family to see this year’s “basement buddy” creations and hear stories about how previous theme’s forms have been recycled and reused throughout the years.

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Seasonal Garden Tours IN-PERSON

Enhance your understanding and appreciation of the Garden with one of these specialized tours featuring seasonal aspects of the collection, offered monthly except January, July, August and December.

February Seasonal Garden Tour: February 6

March Seasonal Garden Tours: March 5 OR March 20

April Seasonal Garden Tours: April 9 OR April 24

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Themed Tours IN-PERSON

Enjoy a guided tour of the Garden through the lens of a particular themed topic!

The Conservatory: Beyond Its Timeless Beauty Tour | January 25 OR March 2 

Conservatories enable exotic plants to be grown, showcase treasures of the plant world and provide a peaceful reflective setting. Discover how plants are obtained and curated to develop a significant botanical collection of ever-changing displays. Explore favorite plant groups – ferns, orchids and desert plants. Be inspired to grow your own exotic plants and acquire tips for orchid care.

Springtime in Virginia Tour | March 21 OR April 6

In early March, spring creeps in. Fruit trees and witch hazels bloom on bare limbs and early bulbs emerge among the leaves. By April, daffodils, tulips and bluebells color the ground while viburnum and redbuds paint the canopy above. Learn what makes “A Million Blooms” possible and how the Garden changes, including the brief appearance of ephemerals. Acquire information about perennials recommended for beginning gardeners with small spaces.

Virginia Native Plants in Context Tour | April 7 OR April 18

Come tour the Garden with Garden Guide Rich Waiton to find both prominent and some lesser-known native Virginia trees, shrubs and perennials. We’ll learn how they fit into the taxonomy (or world-wide botanical order) and relate to other plants of interest which are indigenous to North America and other areas of the world. We’ll discuss the practical implications of native plant terminology including genus, species, cultivar and nativar.

Hidden Life of Trees Tour | April 16

Join Garden Guide Ralph Ashton for a walk through the Garden to explore how trees interact to help each other, migrate in response to climate change, avoid extinction or reappear after having been declared extinct, as well as other stories that trees have to tell us.

Spring Migration Tour | April 27

Enjoy a pleasant walk in the Garden with Garden Guides Buz and Barb Sawyer and learn about how birds use our 80 acres to rest, refuel and continue the journey north to their breeding grounds. Discover what birds will be passing through or arriving in Richmond for the summer.

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Talk and Tours IN-PERSON

Conservation & Sustainability Talk and Walk | March 14

Join Garden Guide Susie Austin for a talk about the many ways we practice sustainability here at the Garden including conserving water, planting native species and recycling. Then enjoy a walk around the Garden to see some of our current efforts at work and discuss how some of these could be adopted for use in your home garden.

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NEW! Themed Thirty-Minute Friday Drop-In Tours IN-PERSON

COMING SOON IN APRIL 2024! Join a Garden Guide for a 30-minute mini-tour featuring a variety of unique topics! No pre-registration required. Free to members or with paid admission. Meet in the Atrium of the Robins Visitors Center. Each tour will be limited to 15 participants. Stay tuned for more information!