The Great Escape: Garden Tour in April

Moms, you're tired and you need an escape, right? Mark Tuesday, April 19th on your calendar! As part of Historic Garden Week, The Garden Club of Fairfax has organized a tour of area gardens in Arlington and McLean this year.

The tour is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $20 prior to the tour and $25 the day of the tour.  We know you're trying to escape BUT if you're bringing your kids along, tickets for children ages 6-12 are $10, ages 5 and under, free of charge. Tickets may be purchased on the tour day at the Memorial Baptist Church and at any of the properties open for the tour.  Children age 17 and under must be accompanied at all times by a parent or other responsible adult.

For advance tickets with map and brochure, send a self-addressed, stamped, legal-size envelope, along with your check, payable to: The Garden Club of Fairfax by April 8 to Mrs. George Whipple, 11508 Yates Ford Rd., Fairfax Station, VA 22039, telephone (703) 978-4130.  Tickets may also be purchased in advance by accessing www.VAGardenweek.org.

Tickets also sold at the following locations:

Burke Florists, University Mall, 10667 Braddock Rd., Fairfax Station

Executive Press, 10412 Main St., Fairfax

Judy Ryan of Fairfax, 9565 Braddock Rd., Fairfax

The information center during the tour is at Memorial Baptist Church, 3455 North Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22207.  From George Washington Parkway:  Take Rte.123 exit north toward Chain Bridge/Washington, DC; turn right onto Glebe Rd. (Rte. 120) at light, go approximately 2 mi. (red brick church is on the left).  From I-495:  Take Exit 43 onto southbound George Washington Parkway; follow directions from George Washington Parkway above.  From I-395:  Take Exit 10 C (from South, Exit 10 C is a left exit) onto George Washington Parkway north; follow directions from George Washington Parkway above.

Properties may be visited in any order. Three properties are in Arlington and two are in McLean.

RESTROOM FACILITIES:  Memorial Baptist Church.

NOTE:  Backpacks, strollers, high heels, smoking, interior photography, and use of cell phones inside the homes are not permitted.  Please wear comfortable walking shoes and note that most of the private houses and gardens, with stairs and uneven surfaces, are not wheelchair-accessible.  Participating homeowners, the Garden Club of Fairfax, and the Garden Club of Virginia are not responsible for accidents occurring on the tour.

  2560 VERMONT STREET, Arlington 22207.  This sophisticated house, described by the owners as a cross between a ranch and a “Cape Cod on steroids,” was custom-built in 1948 by Marvin T. Broyhill.  The brick exterior, painted a Ticonderoga Taupe, features a double chimney and a Vermont slate roof.   Throughout the open California-style interior, the owners have incorporated Asian, Caribbean and modern influences in furnishings and artwork.  The painting above the fireplace is an original Mary Wagner abstract.  Two rare oversized 1950s vases accent the back living room. Mottahedeh Tobacco Leaf china dresses the dining room table, below a 1930s chandelier with iron-crown pineapple glass shades.  A tall column-neck Chinese vase from the 1840s is displayed beneath a triptych by Venezuelan artist Rafael Borrul.  The Chinese runner in the front hall is from the 1800s, and a 1905 pump organ plays like no other.

   Working from a clean slate, the owners designed their gardens for privacy and quietude.  In 2007 a flagstone patio and fountain were installed to create a new living space.  The area provides niches for a vast variety of plants and trees, including the owners’ pride and joy, an Edgeworthia Chrysantha.  Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week.  Mr. Kevin Ceckowski and Dr. Robert Christie, owners.

  2419 NORTH FILLMORE, Arlington 22207.  Inspired by the owner’s childhood home, this modified Craftsman house with colonial features was built in 2005 by BOWA Builders.  A horseshoe drive, lined with flowers and trees for seasonal color, leads to the welcoming porch. The exterior of the beautiful nine-bedroom house features Pennsylvania fieldstone and Vermont slate.  Inside, note the floors and paneling of rich white oak and cherry supplied by Sutherland Hardwoods of Pennsylvania, a three-generation Kimmitt family business.  The skylight and side-door windows were hand-cut.  Elements of the interior, including proportions of the foyer, stairs and impressive dining room, recall a 19th century home where the family lived in California.  The house is fully handicapped-accessible.

   An antique Persian rug, purchased in Europe in the 1940s, graces the front hall. The Venetian aqua chandelier and the 18th century English grandfather clock were found in San Francisco.  Paintings include a still-life by a member of the French Resistance and many American and European paintings that evoke memories of the family’s travels.

  Some 40 trees augment the naturalistic landscape and provide year-round interest.  The grounds contain four stunning water features:  a Bacchus spa, a wheelchair-accessible fountain for the blind, a dining-area fountain, and a spectacular vanishing-edge pool.  Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week.  Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kimmitt, owners.

  6710 25th STREET NORTH, Arlington 22213.  Built in 1951, this charming, painted brick cottage-rambler has undergone an almost complete renovation in the past seven years. While maintaining the original house footprint, the owners followed their decorating instincts to create a warm and inviting home while maximizing the living space.  They added a dining room with a custom built-in wall unit and a cozy sunroom that is reminiscent of trips to a New England beach. A small kitchen was reconfigured and expanded to include a customized island and a backsplash of Italian mosaic glass tile. Carrera marble floors and a spa shower with a marble tower are featured in the newly renovated main bathroom. The stairway leads down to “his and her” dens, each decorated to reflect the tastes of the residents.

  Informal perennial and rose garden beds, flagstone walkways and a spacious patio surround the house and the fenced perimeter, creating a delightful outdoor oasis.  Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week.  Mr. Robert Hickernell and Ms. Ainslie Rose, owners.

  6028 CHESTERBROOK ROAD, McLean 22101. Built in 1938 near the end of the Tudor Revival period, this welcoming hillside home with tiered gardens is among the original residences in the area. The present owners took special care to maintain its Arts and Crafts style during extensive renovations. While greater in size, the original architectural character remains in the elevations and in finishing materials:  old English bricks, slate roofs and copper gutters.  Cathedral ceilings, pegged floors and paneling are original, conveying a feeling of elegance with country charm. The kitchen with stunning blue patterned tiles is inspired by Monet’s kitchen at Giverny.

   Throughout you will see an eclectic mix of beautiful family antiques and modern art. In the living room, note the “funky vintage” chandelier by Swedish sculptor Erik Höglund, and in the foyer, hand-painted Chinese screens selected by Dorothy Draper for the Greenbrier.

    The grounds complement the house with original azaleas and rhododendrons as well as informal native gardens. Stone walls separate the different levels of the backyard. On the patio are features that give the illusion of age: exposed stones in the foundation, a grotto and a small “amphitheater” for children’s plays. Above is a stretching lawn, perennial borders and a woodland walk. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Nichols, owners.

  2114 VIRGINIA AVENUE, McLean 22101. Visitors to this elegant brick French Country home are welcomed by an informal garden featuring tropical plants interspersed among azaleas, magnolias and gardenias. Constructed in 2007, this house is located in Franklin Park, once a remote stop on the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad. Highlighting the center street island is a small but rare Japanese Wheel Tree. Framing the mahogany custom-designed front door on the left is a needle palm, considered the world’s hardiest palm.  To the right, you will spot a bit of tropical whimsy, the large leaf Japanese Fatsia.

   When entering, guests will note an interior filled with a rustic warmth and comfortable design reminiscent of the rural French countryside. Hickory floors with walnut stain highlight the living areas, along with custom-carved molding. Typical of this style of house is the beautiful Venetian plasterwork.

   Relaxation for the family is enhanced by a two-level patio with more than 2,000 square feet of blue stone, decking and screened porch. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week. Mr. and Mrs. Liam Coakley, owners.