What a Coincidence!
(Adult) Mark Twain was born on the day Halley’s Comet visited in 1835 and died on the day of its return in 1910. What are the odds? Hear theories on why coincidences happen and what they mean. Discover some of the most remarkable known coincidences and chance events in human history.
A traditional British afternoon tea served in the Historic House follows each tea program. Full tea includes finger sandwiches, pastries, and scone with cream and jam.
Green Spring Gardens LocationForest Bathing Walk in the Gardens
(Adults) Experience Green Spring Gardens with all your senses. Join Certified Forest Therapy Guide and co-founder of local nonprofit Capital Nature, Ana Ka’ahanui, for a slow, meditative walk around the gardens. Inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, this contemplative walk inspires interaction with the surrounding nature in a way that will help reduce blood pressure, boost immunity and enhance mood and creativity. Decompress and feel a deeper connection with the natural world.
Green Spring Gardens LocationCreative Lettering Workshop
(16-Adult) Have fun learning creative lettering styles including cursive, decorative, free-style and typographic. Artist Caroline Hottenstein explores lettering throughout history and assists you in making small lettering compositions using pencil, micron pens, colored pencils and a nib pen.
Green Spring Gardens LocationTop Perennials for the Summer
(Adults) Join Green Spring horticulturist Brenda Skarphol for a stroll in our summer gardens to look at some of our top perennial plants. Both native and sustainable non-native perennials will be featured, including some newer cultivars. We will see perennials thriving in a range of growing conditions, from sun to shade and in environments that are dry, moist or periodically wet. Plant combinations and eco-friendly gardening styles will be highlighted.
Green Spring Gardens LocationSummer Garden Tour
(16-Adult) Beat the heat with an early morning tour of the vibrant demonstration gardens, led by a Master Gardener Docent who will dazzle you with stunning plant combinations and tales of Green Spring past and present. Hear about our 18th century origins and our mission today. Find inspiration in our horticulturists’ plant choices and garden bed designs and take their ideas home to try in your own landscape. Garden tours run rain or shine.
Green Spring Gardens LocationGreen Spring Past and Present
(Adult) Learn about Green Spring’s 18th-century origins, its early owners and the enslaved people who once lived and toiled here. Hear fascinating stories of past residents of the 1784 Historic House and discover how Green Spring became a horticultural and historical resource for visitors today.
A traditional British afternoon tea served in the Historic House follows each tea program. Full tea includes finger sandwiches, pastries, and scone with cream and jam.
Green Spring Gardens LocationGluten-Free Tea and Tattle
(Adult) Rumor, hearsay, scuttlebutt, scandal. Gossip is widely condemned yet sometimes considered a positive force in society.
Hear all about the origins and changing definitions of gossip, how people have “dished” hilariously through the ages, and why gossiping was once considered synonymous with tea-drinking!
Please note: All tea food for this afternoon tea will be made with no gluten-containing ingredients but cross-contamination is possible.
Green Spring Gardens LocationThe Origin of Manners
Concepts of courtesy and good manners have defined cultures through the ages and made social interaction run smoothly. Learn how manners have changed from medieval times to the Victorian era to the present day and consider the differences between "good manners” and “etiquette.”
A traditional British afternoon tea served in the Historic House follows each tea program. Full tea includes finger sandwiches, pastries, and scone with cream and jam.
Green Spring Gardens LocationSunset Soirée - Mini Herb Garden Workshop
(Adults) Join us after-hours in the Horticulture Center. View the glasshouse tropicals in the light of the setting sun and peruse the art exhibit while enjoying a refreshing mocktail made with herbs grown at Green Spring Gardens. In this workshop, plant your own mini kitchen herb garden. Learn the basics of growing herbs at home—whether on a sunny windowsill or small patio—and get tips on care, harvesting, and how to use your herbs. No green thumb needed—just come ready to dig in. Includes entry, mocktail, and herbs with all the needed potting supplies.
Green Spring Gardens LocationSunset Soirée - Botanical Bath Salts Workshop
(Adults) Join us after-hours in the Horticulture Center. View the glasshouse tropicals in the light of the setting sun and peruse the art exhibit while enjoying a refreshing mocktail made with herbs grown at Green Spring Gardens. In this workshop, learn about the calming and restorative properties of plants and how to blend them into a relaxing bath soak. Leave with a custom blend of botanical bath salts and the knowledge to make more at home. Bring your favorite glass jar for storage (12 oz or less) or use one that will be provided. No prior experience needed; all materials are provided.
Green Spring Gardens LocationBook Talk & Signing: Bad Naturalist by Paula Whyman
(16-Adult) Hear author Paula Whyman discuss Bad Naturalist. Explore native plant restoration on a Blue Ridge mountaintop. Laugh and learn from real-life mistakes and small wins.
Connect with fellow native plant enthusiasts.
Q&A and book signing included
Praised by Douglas Tallamy as “humorous and thoroughly engaging.
Green Spring Gardens Location