Green Spring Gardens

CONTACT INFORMATION: Gate locked at 5 p.m.
703-642-5173 TTY 711
4603 Green Spring Road
Alexandria, Virginia
Judy Zatsick
Manager

Historic Programs and Teas

Department Resources

Related Resources

Garden Tour & Tea

(Adult) Tour the glorious demonstration gardens with master gardener docents. Hear about Green Spring’s fascinating history, our educational mission today and how we can help your summer gardens grow!

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 Location

Matchmaker, Matchmaker

(Adult) June is for weddings. Explore the many ways that people have found their mates throughout history, from the ancient roles of matchmakers to the emergence of marriage markets and the origins of “dating.” Discover why June is historically the most popular month for marriage.

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 Location

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 Location

Green 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 Location

Gluten-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 Location

The 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 Location

Historic Green Spring programs are followed by a traditional English afternoon tea, unless otherwise noted. Full tea includes finger sandwiches, pastries and scone.

Historic Green Spring programs are by reservation only (703-941-7987, TTY 703-324-3988).

Teatime Tips

Private Teas and Tasting Programs at the Historic House

Private groups can reserve a history-themed slideshow lecture or a docent-led tour of the gardens, followed by afternoon tea. Private tasting programs are also available. For information, call 703-941-7987.


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