Welcome to the Rappahannock Valley Garden Trail!

This trail invites you to explore the beauty of the Fredericksburg region’s stunning public gardens. From parks to 18th-century properties, each stop along the trail offers a unique glimpse into the area’s horticultural splendor. Nature lovers, horticulturists and garden design enthusiasts will delight in the journey through a tapestry of vibrant blooms, wildflowers and herbs. Discover the natural beauty and historic charm that make the Rappahannock Valley a true gardener’s paradise.

The Rappahannock Valley Garden Trail is a project of The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club to honor the Club’s Centennial in 2024. As a member of the Garden Club of Virginia, The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club annually hosts Historic Garden Week in Virginia. Private homes and gardens are open for one day with proceeds funding the restoration and preservation of Virginia’s historic public gardens and two graduate level research fellowships in landscape architecture.

1. The Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop

1020 Caroline St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401

The Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop’s Garden is an interpretation of an 18th century colonial apothecary style garden. It features over 55 medicinal plants and herbs used in the 18th century, and many non-medicinal plants. The garden was first restored in 1931 by the Citizen’s Guild of George Washington’s Boyhood Home. After 1940, it was maintained by the American Pharmaceutical Association through the Friends of Historic Pharmacy. In 1963, the Fredericksburg Council of Garden Clubs added the boxwoods to the beds which still stand today. In the 1980s, Genevieve and Charles Bugay worked together to add the herbs to the garden and restored it to an interpretation of an early colonial apothecary garden. A great deal of early colonial apothecary gardens grew naturally, which often led to abundant growth throughout the garden. The historical context of this is simple. Colonial gardens featured a vast number of plants from Europe – lavender, pennyroyal, chamomile – all necessary for the care of households and apothecaries. In response to necessity, the colonists’ reliance on these herbs meant that many colonial gardens allowed plants to grow unstructured and with profusion. Now under the care of the Washington Heritage Museums, the garden is maintained by their gardener and volunteers from the community.

2. Mary Washington House Garden

1200 Charles St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401

It is unclear what Mary Washington’s garden looked like when she lived in the house from 1772 to 1789. Her grandchildren remembered a walkway of English Boxwoods that connected their grandmother’s property to Kenmore Plantation and that there was an orchard. In the 19th century, artists depicted the front of the house but neglected to show the backyard.

The Mary Washington House opened as a museum in May 1900 operated by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA). In the late 1960s, the Garden Club of Virginia rehabilitated the gardens. Mary Washington House director Betsy Houston and Mrs. James Bland Martin researched 18th century gardens for three years in preparation for the project.

The Garden Club of Virginia hired Ralph E. Griswold as the landscape architect. His design was in a Colonial Revival style versus a restoration of the garden as it appeared during Mary Washington’s time. Under Griswold, the Kitchen House was incorporated into the design with a vegetable and herb garden added. Griswold used pathways lined with English boxwoods to separate the yard from the Kitchen House to the ornamental section. Plants and flowers that were available during the 18th century were added. The rehabilitation of the garden took a year and was officially dedicated on September 25, 1969. Today, the gardens are an added attraction to the home of Mary Washington. Owned by the Washington Heritage Museums.

3. Historic Kenmore and Gardens

1201 Washington Ave., Fredericksburg, VA 22401

One of Virginia’s finest 18th century houses, Kenmore was built for patriot Fielding Lewis and his wife, Betty, sister of George Washington. The house contains some of the most elaborate decorative plasterwork to survive from Colonial America, made by the same unidentified “stucco man” who worked at Mount Vernon. Two garden restorations were completed, in 1941 and 1996, first to restore Betty Lewis’ flower garden and garden wall, and later to renovate Betty’s flower garden, a wilderness walk, and restore the east terrace on the property. The grounds were the first restoration project of the Garden Club of Virginia with funds from the first Historic Garden Week in 1929. Kenmore is owned and operated by The George Washington Foundation (also owners of Ferry Farm, George Washington’s boyhood home, across the Rappahannock River from downtown Fredericksburg).

4. Mary Washington Monument

1500 Washington Ave., Fredericksburg, VA 22401

The Mary Washington Monument represents the national desire to honor the memory of the mother of George Washington. The Meditation Rock, a large sandstone geological feature, was a part of nearby Kenmore, the property of Betty Washington and Fielding Lewis. It was a favorite site for Mary to visit for the view that the outcrop afforded, looking west over the ancient bed of the Rappahannock River. Mary Washington had requested that her grave be at this site. The exact location of her burial is unknown. This memorial monument was the first to be built by women to honor a woman. Women from across the country rallied to build the current monument in the late 19th century (a monument begun in the 1830s was never completed and left to ruin after the Civil War). It was completed in 1894.

Now under the ownership of the Washington Heritage Museums, the full site includes a Caretaker’s Lodge, Gordon Family cemetery and stately trees. To honor Mary, the descendants of George Eskridge planted a stately oak on the site. Eskridge was the guardian of Mary Ball and introduced her to Augustine Washington. Note that her firstborn son was named for her guardian. The Washington Heritage Museums have plans to improve the property with accessible walkways and new plantings.

In 1939, Alden Hopkins, Landscape Architect for the Garden Club of Virginia, designed a plan for the site which included the brick wall surrounding the property and various plantings, few of which remain. In 2008, the GCV renovated the plan to include new paving and plantings. William D. Rieley was the landscape architect for the renovation.

5. Cossey Botanical Park

Littlepage St. and Grove Ave., Fredericksburg, VA 22401

The Cossey Botanical Park, once home to Fredericksburg’s water treatment facility, is part of a nearly 10-acre site which includes community gardens, a dog park, access to the Canal Path and parking. Guy Mussey of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service approached the City in 2008 with a plan for the site designed to increase the appreciation of nature. In 2009 the Master Gardeners began planting scores of specimens.

The plantings celebrate nature’s worldwide diversity. Look for the Hardy Japanese Orange recognized by its intertwined thorny branches hiding small oranges. Close to the paved parking area is a Golden Rain Tree, native to Asia, now widely used for landscaping in the area. Local native plants are represented well. An outstanding example of how an understory tree can develop when it is in the open is the large Eastern Redbud near the street. The grove of Sumac (about nine plants) with cone-like clusters of red fruit at maturity supports 94 species of birds. There are about 30 plant families represented, some with as many as six different specimens planted with space to grow and plenty of sunlight. Wander the paths and linger, surrounded by the numerous plantings, and, with a Virginia Fishing License, enjoy the activity in the small pond.

6. UMW Zen Garden

Accessed from either Campus Walk or Campus Drive at Sunken Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Completed in the spring of 2019, the Japanese-inspired UMW Zen Garden is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also supports campus initiatives in wellness, sustainability, contemplation and multiculturalism. The garden is nestled in a once-overlooked corner behind Farmer Hall, previously known for drainage problems. It is visible from a complete 360 degrees, including from inside the Leidecker Center for Asian Studies.

Three giant boulders next to the building represent heaven, earth and humankind. Each weighs two to four tons and were meticulously chosen to showcase their angles and textures and to form a focal point.

Working with the flow of the nearby Amphitheatre, designers Bob Chilton and Todd Stewart (of Gardens Unlimited in Caroline County) joined forces with University of Mary Washington’s Facilities Services to secure the site, channel water away from the area and provide drainage, edging and more. A bed of pebbles topped with crushed granite provides a gravel area, raked throughout the year to represent ripples of water, showing movement, shadow and definition.

The horticultural tapestry, including waves of dwarf Mondo grass, bright golden sweet flag, azalea shrubs, weeping Japanese maples and Japanese white and umbrella pines, offers four-season interest and an opportunity to reflect year-round.  Asian sculptures and bamboo accents highlight entrances, catching the eye, and stepping stones are placed at angles across the living carpet.

Small but inclusive, the dynamic, ever-changing space needs regular cultivation and maintenance provided by student volunteers and UMW staff.

7. Downtown Greens

206 Charles St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401

The gardens at Downtown Greens include our Lower and Upper Gardens. The Lower Garden, located behind the building at 206 Charles Street, is the original site where Downtown Greens started over 25 years ago. It began with the founder planting what she thinned out of a client’s garden. This consisted primarily of an interesting base of common non-native garden plants popular in the 1990’s with the addition of more native plants as time moved on and our gardeners caught on to the many benefits of native plants. This landscaped setting offers a green oasis in downtown Fredericksburg for anyone seeking to enjoy the outdoors and fresh air. Come by often to watch the Lower Garden transform into a native plant destination spot!
The Upper Garden is visible to all who drive by at the corner of Dixon and Charles Street. This plot of land was purchased a few years after the lower garden was established and became a food production plot including native, food-bearing trees, vines, and shrubs as well as our education garden where vegetables and herbs are grown by students. Here is the Take What You Need garden for community members to harvest as needed. The Upper Garden is a park-like setting and contains benches and picnic tables.

The Belman Road Campus, a 56-acre parcel of land located in the Fredericksburg Industrial Park at 1360 Belman Road, was acquired by DTG and placed in open space easement in 2023. The 56 acres contain working agriculture fields, old growth forest, wetland, and an 810 tree native edible food forest riparian buffer. Monthly walk-arounds are being held to view the property while it is being studied and a master plan is being developed for its public use.

8. Belmont, Gari Melchers Home and Studio

224 Washington St., Falmouth, VA 22405

Overlooking the Rappahannock River in Falmouth, across from Fredericksburg, Belmont was the residence of the renowned American painter Gari Melchers and his wife Corinne. Their preserved home, dating from the 18th century, art gallery and studio are open for tours. The gardens are a Garden Club of Virginia Restoration site. Mature trees offer majesty and shade to the boxwood parterres, roses and herbaceous flower borders. The grounds afford spectacular views of the river, especially from the lovely summer house situated at the edge of the steep slope to the river below. There are several trails for nature walks. Operated by The University of Mary Washington.

9. Chatham 

120 Chatham Ln., Fredericksburg, VA 22401

This historic home on the bluff overlooking Fredericksburg and the Rappahannock River is one of America’s most beautiful homes. The gardens were designed by noted landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman in 1924. Shipman’s work is evident in the walled garden, goldfish pond, orchard, boxwood-lined rectangular perennial beds with statuary and pergolas. Today, the gardens reflect a necessary simplicity that is more practical to maintain. The terraced lawn on the river side offers an iconic view of the City of Fredericksburg. Among Chatham’s owners was the industrialist John Lee Pratt who donated the property and 30 acres to the National Park Service. Chatham is the headquarters for the Fredericksburg Spotsylvania National Military Park.

10. George Washington’s Ferry Farm

268 Kings Hwy., Fredericksburg, VA 22405

A National Historic Landmark, this farm is the boyhood home of George Washington and the site of the legends of the cherry tree and the stone toss across the river. Ferry Farm was Washington’s home from the age of six until the age of 22. Later named for the ferries that operated between its shoreline and Fredericksburg in the 18th and 19th centuries, the property includes the Washington House replica, root cellar and enslaved house replicas, Rappahannock River frontage, ferry landings, and 18th century archaeology sites. The landscape features walking trails through fields, forests, and wetlands, and riverfront views of the town. The property includes a colonial-style garden filled with typical 18th century crops indigenous to Virginia. The raised border garden is organized into exhibits illustrating how English colonists and Indigenous Peoples farmed. The Visitor Center houses exhibits and an active archaeology lab. Owned by The George Washington Foundation (also owners of Historic Kenmore and Gardens). Grounds pass required.

11. Cedell Brooks, Jr. Park Demonstration Garden

11215 Henry Griffin Rd., King George, VA 22485

Cedell Brooks, Jr. Park was dedicated in 2019 as a native plant demonstration garden and park. It is a project of the Plant Central Rappahannock Natives Campaign of which The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club is a contributing member. Here visitors learn about the flora and fauna of the region and conservation practices that can be applied to the home environment. Featured are pollinator, meadow, rain, hillside, and street garden exhibits, designed to provide practical solutions to problematic landscape issues involving excessive moisture, dry, and sloping conditions. The gardens include over 70 species and over 650 plants, showcasing color, variety, and the benefits of nature. Cedell Brooks, Jr. Park is maintained by Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists