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Green Spring Gardens 4603 Green Spring Road Alexandria, Virginia 22312 703-642-5173 Historic Green Spring Programs Historic Green Spring programs are by reservation only (703-941-7987, TTY 703-324-3988.) A traditional English tea follows each program, except where noted. Schedule a private tea program for your next bridal shower, birthday or other special occasion. Private tasting parties are also available. Call for details. March Saturday, March 31, 10am-12pm Shoji Lamp Workshop Make an elegant Shoji table lamp with wood and rice paper for a warm accent light anywhere in your home. Learn about the simple Zen aesthetic of Japan’s ancient decorative traditions. Materials supplied, including wiring kit and bulb. Class meets at the Historic House. Refreshments served, including Japanese teas and sweets. $35 April Saturday, April 14, 10-11:30am Spring Blossom Garden Tour Master gardener docents lead you through the gardens, highlighting cherry trees and other early-spring bloomers. Hear stories of these harbingers of spring and learn how they grow. Afterwards, in honor of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, enjoy Japanese tea and sweets in the Historic House. $12 Sunday, April 15, 1-3pm Last Tea on the Titanic           RMS Titanic went down 100 years ago, on April 14, 1912. We’ll honor the ship and her passengers, from aristocrats in first class to immigrants packed into steerage. Hear about daily life on the liner that embodied the excesses of the “Gilded Age”: fashions, entertainments, menus, music, and afternoon tea. (Full English tea included.) Call 703-941-7987 for reservations $27 Sunday, April 22, 1-3pm Wabi-Sabi: Embracing Imperfection Discover your sense of wabi-sabi, the Japanese art of finding beauty in the naturally imperfect world. Explore this philosophy of "making do" that resonates in austere times, and its origins in the tea garden. Then enjoy a Japanese tea-tasting in the garden and contemplate the perfect imperfection all the around us! Traditional sweets served. $25 Saturday, April 28, 10:30am-12pm Mocktails Tasting Party  Learn how to mix cool, sophisticated non-alcoholic drinks that hit the spot for graduation parties and summer get-togethers. Sample a range of refreshing and creative concoctions using seasonal fruits, vegetables, herbs, syrups, juices and zests to excite the eye and the palate. $22 May Sunday, May 13, 1-3pm Mother’s Day Tea       Mother’s Day and afternoon tea go together like scones and clotted cream. But what is clotted cream anyway? Let’s brush up on our knowledge of teatime history, traditions and etiquette and treat our mothers to a memorable and thoroughly “proper” tea party! (Full English tea included.) Call 703-941-7987 for reservations $27 June Saturday, June 2, 10:30am-12pm Trees of Green Spring Master gardener docents lead a walking tour that explores the secrets of our largest garden resicents: the trees. Learn fascinating facts about the stately giants that for so much of our landscape. Then come into the Historic House for light refreshments. $12 Sunday, June 10, 1-3pm The Apiarists’ Tale Beekeepers Marian Villasenor and Bob Becker take the mystery out of this rewarding backyard pastime with the story, in pictures, of their first year of beekeeping at Green Spring. Their experiences will entertain, fascinate and inform you. After tea, we’ll visit the hives. (Full English tea included.) Call 703-941-7987 for reservations $27 Tuesday, June 19, 7-8pm Rangers, Raiders and Spies, Oh My! Hear fascinating stories of Civil War spycraft and the men and women who served as agents for the Blue and the Gray. Green Spring historian Debbie Waugh introduces you to two important Civil War spies with close connections to Green Spring, whose undercover exploits changed the course of the war. Meet at Horticulture Center. Light refreshments served. $12 Spring Garden Stroll & Tea Thursdays, April 26, May 10 & 24, June 7, 1-3pm Tour the glorious demonstration gardens with a master gardener docent who will inspire you with stories of Green Spring past and present. The come into the Historic House to relax over an elegant English afternoon tea. Call 703-941-7987 for reservations. $27 Private Events for All Occasions Private groups can reserve a customized presentation or docent-led tour of the gardens, followed by a full afternoon tea or light refreshments at the house. Private tasting parties are also available. Call us for information. 703-941-7987.