Historic Garden Week is a yearly, state-wide event across

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

where tours of public gardens and landscapes are organized by member clubs of the Garden Club of Virginia, with the main purpose being to raise funds for their preservation, including projects at important landmarks like

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

, and Montpelier. The tradition originated in 1929, when the Garden Club of Virginia organized a flower show to raise approximately $7,000 to preserve trees planted by

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

at Monticello. The event's revenue also funds research fellowship programs, such as the Rudy J. Favretti Fellowship and the William D. Rieley Fellowship, that assist graduate students seeking a master's degree in landscape architecture or an equivalent. Over $500 million has been raised from Historic Garden Week over the last 50 years to fund preservation efforts and research fellowship programs. The event has been recognized as a significant source of tourism in Virginia by authorities such as the American Bus Organization, the Virginia Tourism Corporation, and governors of Virginia.

References

External links

Current Garden Week Schedule

Garden Club of Virginia Website
Organizations based in Richmond, Virginia {{nonprofit-org-stub