A butterfly lands on a milkweed plant sown at the Butterfly WayStation Runnymede Park, 195 Herndon Parkway. The certified WayStation is on this year's Herndon Garden Tour. Photo Courtesy of Runnymede Park
The Annual Herndon Garden Tour is Sunday, Sept. 10, noon until 4 p.m. Although the garden tour has been a June tradition since 2005, this year the tour is scheduled not in the heat of summer but on a fall afternoon. Plants thrive even after summer's heat and will continue to bloom through autumn.
Visitors will be delighted by the five private gardens on this year's self-guided tour, along with a bonus sixth garden, the Butterfly WayStation at Runnymede Park. Local plein air painters will have their easels up, and painting live in the gardens. Music by local performers will add a special touch. A professional photographer will be on site to give hints on how to photograph close ups of florals and landscapes. Bring the whole family for a welcome break and take a step into the garden gems of Herndon.
Gardeners will be on site to answer questions. They have been working long and hard getting ready for the tour, and are thrilled to share some of their winning gardening secrets (and failures) with tour goers. Visitors will experience a broad range of garden types as they visit the six sites: pesticide-free, wildlife, shade, xeriscaping, bog, and butterfly.
The featured gardens include those of Steven Humes and Craig Villalobos at 101 Pearl St.; Vicky Robertson at 809 Monroe St.; Maury Cagle and Alieda Van Doren-Cagle at 900 McDaniels Court; Paul and Signe Friedrichs at 958 Tympani Court; Rob and Julie Nirschl at 654 Old Hunt Way; and the Butterfly WayStation at Runnymede Park, 195 Herndon Parkway.
Tickets are $15 through Sept. 10 with children 12 and under free. Tickets may be purchased using a credit card by calling the Herndon Community Center, 814 Ferndale Ave. at 703-787-7300 (cash and checks accepted on site).
Tickets may also be purchased using cash and check at the Herndon Florist, 716 Lynn St. up until Saturday, Sept. 9, 3 p.m., the day before the tour. The florist is closed on tour day.
Cultivating Community Initiative, a group of volunteers and town staff dedicated to neighborhood beautification and community spirit, produces the Herndon Garden Tour. For more information, contact the Communications Office at 703-435-6800 Ext. 2084 or visit information@herndon-va.gov