Tour Schedule September – December 2024

 

NEW! Themed Friday Drop-In Tours IN-PERSON 

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 start at 1 pm and be limited to 15 participants.

True Lilies | Friday, September 6

Join us on a mini-tour featuring true lilies (botanical name lilium) and discover several characteristics that distinguish them from other plants that have ‘lily’ in their name. Our own Garden Guide Lili Aram-Bost will showcase the Garden’s true lilies highlighting the unique bulb, stem, leaves, and flower components of these long-lasting garden gems.

Native Perennials | Friday, September 13

Among all the plants that come into their prime during autumn, let’s focus on those that are native to our area and star in mid-September. Join Garden Guide Daryl Mathers to learn more about the ecological value as well as the visual appeal of these plants.

40th Anniversary Horticultural Displays | Friday, September 20

Join Garden Guide Julia Cothron to learn how the towers and a turtle were constructed, the plants used to create vibrant designs and the care required. Similar techniques can be used for vertical growth in small spaces.

Mini-Seasonal | Friday, September 27

Enhance your understanding and appreciation of the Garden with a mini-version of our regular seasonal tour. Garden Guide Gail Taylor will highlight what’s currently in bloom!

The Asian Garden | Friday, October 4

Let’s visit Asian Valley with our Garden Guide Harriet Coalter to find the basic components of Asian garden design and see plants that come to the fore in the fall.

Propagating Your Perennials | Friday, October 11

Are your hostas and hellebores fighting each other for space? Has your coneflower clump doubled in size? Are your peonies shading all the low growing plants at the front of your beds? Garden Guide Nancy Penick will talk about how fall is the perfect time to thin out your overgrown perennials and pass them along to a willing friend, neighbor or family member.

Potions: Helpful or Harmful? | Friday, October 18

Plants can be poisonous or have health benefits, as well as be unusual sources of food, clothing or human products. Join Garden Guide Julia Cothron as we explore examples in the Garden.

Diwali Inspiration From the Garden | Friday, October 25

As a prelude to our October 26th Diwali celebration at the Garden, come join Garden Guide Kat Dianina to learn more about this festival that symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil and is likely a fusion of harvest festivals in ancient India. We’ll talk about rangoli, a traditional folk art that’s often made with colorful flower petals, that play a pivotal role in the celebration and are like a vibrant welcome mat for prosperity and joy. Following the tour, we’ll make our own rangoli together as a group!

Native Plants in Context | Friday, November 1 PLEASE NOTE: THIS TOUR IS 1 HOUR IN LENGTH.

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. Attendees will better understand the interpretive signage at Lewis Ginter and how the common names of some plants can be misleading.

Berries, Nuts, Cones and Seed Pods | Friday, November 8

Walk through the Garden with Garden Guide Jeanne Hechler to learn about unusual trees and plants with nuts, cones, seed pods and berries in the fall.

Winter Gardening | Friday, November 15

Join Garden Guide Kathy Barksdale in a discussion about winter flower bed management and some plants that bloom in the winter months.

History of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | Friday, November 22

Find out how the beauty of today’s botanical garden began in the bicycle craze of the 1890’s. Garden Guide Anita Waters will guide us through the history of the property from Powhatan hunting grounds to Lewis Ginter’s Lakeside Wheel Club to the expanded Bloemendaal House which first served as a convalescent home for sick children and later became Grace Arents’ primary residence.

Behind-the-Scenes of Gardenfest | Friday, November 29

Are you curious to know what really goes into creating Gardenfest at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and especially to know how the themed light forms are created? Join Garden Guide Elizabeth Karalius as we tour the Garden to see this year’s “basement buddy” creations and hear about the techniques used for outdoor installations of lights on the ground, trees and shrubs and the deinstallation process once Gardenfest ends!

 

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Public Guided Tours* IN-PERSON

*Public Guided Tours require pre-registration through our website.

Seasonal Garden Tours

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.

September Seasonal Garden Tours | September 10 

October Seasonal Garden Tours | October 2 OR October 15 

November Seasonal Garden Tours | November 5 

 

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Evening Seasonal Garden Tours

Enjoy an evening out in the Garden! Enhance your understanding and appreciation of featured seasonal aspects of the collection. Come dressed for the weather and walking in the Garden.

September Evening Seasonal Garden Tour | September 25

October Evening Seasonal Garden Tour | October 9

 

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Talk and Tours

Conservation & Sustainability Talk & Tour | September 11 

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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For the Love of Trees Talk & Tour | October 21 

Do you love trees and want to learn more about the role you can have in their survival? Come join Garden Guide, Lorrie Lincoln for a talk about the hidden life of trees and their importance in our ecosystem. Then enjoy a walk around the Garden to see our magnificent and beautiful tree collection.

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Native Plants Talk & Tour | November 6 

Native plants are a wonderful addition to the landscape for their adaptability, ornamental value and pollinator support. First meet in the classroom for the talk and then tour the Garden with experienced Garden Guide Lorrie Lincoln to see what native plants are growing at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and which ones might work for you in your yard.

 

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Themed Tours

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

NEW! Garden Entrance Tour | September 16 

Let’s explore an area of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden that isn’t commonly visited by guests…the Garden entrance! Join Garden Guide Lorrie Lincoln for a tour of the area around the parking lots and the entrance and end with a walk along the Glen Stream. 

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NEW! Tropical Vibes in the Central Garden: Become Inspired! Tour | September 17 

Although days are cooling, the vibrant hues of tropical leaves and blooms still abound. Join Garden Guide Julia Cothron as we analyze how colors and textures are used in beds, pots and the Flourish horticultural displays. 

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Hidden Life of Trees Tour | October 1 

Let’s walk through the Garden and 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. Join Garden Guide Ralph Ashton for an exploration of the beauty and diversity of the trees at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

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NEW! More Than a Witch’s Brew: Beneficial Uses of Plants | October 16 

Despite Shakespeare’s gruesome language – wool of bat and gall of goat – there are some familiar, and even beneficial, plants in his recipe. Join Garden Guide Julia Cothron to learn about these plants as well as others used in medicine, tires, insect repellants and as unusual sources of food or clothing.

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Explore Conifers at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | October 23 OR November 16 

Venture with Garden Guide Harriet Coalter to the Streb Conifer Garden to see the many varieties of conifers suitable for Richmond’s plant hardiness zone.

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Fall Migration Tour | November 9 

Join Garden Guides Buz and Barb Sawyer, both birdwatchers since childhood, for a walk in the Garden to learn about how birds use our 80 acres to rest, refuel, and continue the journey south for the winter.

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Behind-the-Scenes of Gardenfest Tour | December 6 OR December 20

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. 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.

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NEW! Gardenfest Interiors: Featuring Nature| December 11

From wreaths to swags to tree decorations, you’ll find amazing examples of how you can use preserved flowers, leaves and fruit to create a “natural holiday décor.” Every year, the interior designs change, so every display will be a surprise.