Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Ian Robertson, Various Others
1981 – Land acquired by Richmond City
1800 Lakeside Avenue

Known as “Oughnum” to the Powhatans who used the land centuries ago for hunting, the area now known as Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has passed through many hands, including those of Patrick Henry. Major Lewis Ginter purchased 10 acres in 1884 for the Lakeside Wheel Club, Bloemendaal Farm and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and subsequently built a cottage for the club, a popular destination for Richmond cyclists. His niece Grace Arents inherited the land when Ginter died and retrofitted the cottage in Dutch Colonial style, known now as the Bloemendaal House. Arents travelled the world to see species and other botanical gardens, making notes and bringing back specimens. Upon her death, she donated the land to City of Richmond in honor of her uncle.

The land sat vacant for thirteen years before a committee was formed in 1981 and Arents’ plan for the estate to be turned into a botanical garden came to fruition. Ian Robertson Architects designed the initial plan for the garden’s layout as well as the Martha Reed West Island Garden, but various consultants were hired for the addition of evolving gardens.

Like many botanical gardens, Lewis Ginter’s collection of over 50 acres is divided into different sectors, including the Healing, North Terrace, Tea House, Perennial, and Children’s Gardens. The Rose Garden is a main attraction, boasting 1,800 roses. Different areas allude to various styles or time periods, such as the Four Seasons Garden having a quaint, Arts and Crafts designed area, and the Sunken Garden exhibiting an ancient Roman theme with an emphasis on the flow of water. The architectural beacon of the Gardens is the conservatory, with 63 foot tall glass and steel dome which can be seen lit up well beyond the garden’s limits. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden continues to expand, most recently with the addition of the Lotus Bridge, a pedestrian walkway that winds over a pond.

Current uses include more than visitor viewing of the gardens – concerts, weddings and events fill the Garden’s calendar, perhaps the most notable of which being the GardenFest of Lights, a common winter holiday event for Richmonders. In 2011, the Institute for Museums and Libraries awarded Lewis Ginter the top honor of National Medal, one of the only three botanical gardens (along with Chicago and New York) to ever receive the award.

MFA

http://www.lewisginter.org/gardens/facilities.php