Spring Private Garden Tours 2021 in Charlottesville, Virginia

Several years ago I joined a local Charlottesville Virginia plant exchange and garden discussion Facebook group. It's an active group with many sharing plants or collecting my excess! We're all happy that plants will find new homes and not simply be tossed on the compost pile. Select times of the year you can sign up for tours of home gardens.

Yesterday my mother and I visited three gardens located in the Key West neighborhood of Charlottesville. Our car navigator led us a bit astray and we initially drove right past the first garden on our list. On our way we noticed a colorful flowerbed that stood out from all the rest. It ended up being the home we were trying to locate! Leslie's garden is not easily missed as you cruise through Key West. This time of year the Iris is showing off as are the Peonies.

Leslie's garden was an empty palette when she began gardening their property 13 years ago. Originally starting small with a 12' long strip of flowers her gardens now encircle the home. Recently a massive swath of pink Daffodils have been added to the adjoining forest area and happily cascade down the back hillside to meet the Rivanna River. I'm told by other neighborhood gardeners she is often spotted tending to her plants. 

All three Key West gardens that we visited are located in deer country so a wide array of tactics are employed to help protect plants. Electric fencing, the rotation of various deer repellant products, and extremely tall fencing and netting help keep the deer away from special plant areas. Also plant selection is crucial, planting things they don't usually dine on unless extremely desperate but nothing is 100% when you're dealing with deer.

One pretty spot in Leslie's garden is the Lotus pond. The pink flowers tend to burst upward in June and crescendo on July 4th. Leslie invited us to be sure to come back and see the show!

We so enjoyed our day out meeting fellow nature lovers and seeing a diverse set of gardens that were all equally amazing. I hope this peek at Leslie's garden gives you a taste of what's on tour this year.

~Rebecca

  

Dividing Perennials

I'm always amazed at how quickly Spring ends and the heat of the Summer takes over.  I've been dividing bulbs and perennials for 2 weeks now and they are all growing and are in good shape.  It gets so hot here in Central Virginia in the Summer that dividing and planting anything is risky.  I've burned up many a plant and tree by not providing enough water and baking plants to death in the hot sun. 

If you can see it sprouting then go ahead and move it or divide.  Your chances of getting good moisture increase during May showers and decrease as June approaches.

Actually I prefer to transplant bulbs when they are in bloom.  I know that sounds crazy but I can see the bloom and the location of most bulbs and perennials so I won't accidentally dig up something.  Carefully relocating keeps the bloom intact without any problems.  Dividing is another matter.  There is greater risk of harming the bloom if you need to rip apart bulbs and this is better done after bloom or in the fall.

-Rebecca