Historic Garden Week in Fairfax

The Garden Club of Fairfax invites the public to celebrate its centennial year during Virginia’s Historic Garden Week on Tuesday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This special milestone will be marked by an exclusive, self-driving tour of three distinctive properties in Fairfax County.

Attendees will journey through time, beginning with a visit to an 1865 Victorian gem in Fairfax. This historic home offers a blend of classic elegance and contemporary comfort, nestled on nearly an acre adorned with spectacular gardens and over 70 American boxwoods that have flourished for more than a century.

The tour continues with two remarkable residences in the Oak Hill area. One property enchants visitors with a tranquil Zen Garden, featuring graceful waterfalls and serene pools, while the other delights with vibrant color and a lush hillside woodland garden.

Guests may enjoy the properties in any order at their own pace. For more information and to buy tickets online, go to www.vagardenweek.org. Tickets are $50 in advance online. Tickets include admission to headquarters and three homes and gardens.

Properties included in the tour:

Tour Headquarters: Historic Vale Church, c. 1896, 11528 Vale Road, Oakton

3500 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax
The oldest home on the Fairfax tour and a rare gem in Fairfax County was built in 1865 as a two-story frame farmhouse on 100 acres of orchards and a dairy farm. For over a century, generations of the Cobb family owned the property, eventually developing the surrounding land while preserving the original home and its mature walnut, beech trees, and old boxwood. The Williams family later purchased the property and continued to maintain its history. Mrs. Carol Williams was a longtime member of the Garden Club of Fairfax, serving as President from 1995 to 1997. During her time as owner, she lovingly added many beautiful specimens to the flowing country-style gardens. A former WWII aircraft spotter's building, once on stilts and previously located in Vienna, now serves as the garden shed on the home’s much-reduced one-acre parcel. In 2018, an extension was added to the back of the home, carefully designed to blend seamlessly with the farmhouse’s original character. In 2024, the home changed hands again. The new owners, respectful of its historic charm, have filled the house with European and American antiques mixed with modern pieces for comfort and functionality. Today, in the back garden, the well house and native flowering plants stand as a testament to Carol Williams’s green thumb and the lasting allure of this old Virginia farmhouse.

3214 Upper Wynnewood Place, Oak Hill
Situated on nearly an acre of densely wooded land at the end of a cul-de-sac, this home was built in 1993 as a classic contemporary house. Its soaring ceilings, large windows, and modern moldings create a seamless connection to nature from inside the home. In late 1994, the current owners purchased the house for their young family of five. In the early 2000s, they cleared some trees to build multi-level decks, winding pathways, and arbors. They also added extensive Zen-style shade gardens with multiple ponds, waterfalls, and footbridges. Over the years, the lush landscape has been expanded to enhance seasonal interest. The home itself is equally distinctive and impressive. Upon entering the two-story foyer with a circular staircase, guests will notice an extensive collection of original art, including paintings and sculptures, displayed in the living and dining rooms flanking it. Each room has been remodeled and updated over the past four years, and the kitchen was expanded into a storage area, nearly doubling its original size. The homeowners enjoy collecting paintings, porcelain, and glass artworks, which are displayed throughout for everyday enjoyment.

3235 Navy Drive, Oak Hill
This English Country-style custom home, built in 1997, is a lively, colorful family residence nestled on a half-acre of wooded hillside. It is set back from a quiet cul-de-sac and borders undeveloped land owned by the Fairfax County Park Authority. The home was redesigned in the 2010s and further decorated during the pandemic. It’s lively and welcoming with whimsical interiors suited to three daughters, their mother, and a vocal hound dog. From the wallpapered ceiling to the Chinese red lacquered Chippendale foyer table, the interiors blend traditional and contemporary styles with an edgy touch. A large Corbett Ambrosia chandelier with hundreds of silver- and gold-leafed medallions hangs in the teal-toned dining room. Pass through the teen girls’ den on your way to the screened porch, which feels like a treehouse with views of the woodland landscape below. Brightly colored potted plants decorate the decks, stairs, steps leading down to the back gardens, the potting table that doubles as a party spot, and the fire pit area.