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A late freeze threatened months of preparation just hours before Fairfax County’s 2026 Historic Garden Week tour was set to welcome visitors into three private gardens.

Homeowners and volunteers rushed to cover vulnerable plants the night before the event, uncertain what would survive until morning.

“We were a nervous wreck,” tour chair Andrea Hickman said.

But the weather turned in their favor. The cold eased, the sun appeared and temperatures became comfortable enough for guests to spend the day outdoors.

“It was such a good day,” Hickman said. “It was sunny and the temperature was pleasant.”

The Fairfax event was one of 29 statewide tours presented by the Garden Club of Virginia. Nearly a year of planning went into coordinating homeowners, recruiting volunteers, photographing properties, securing sponsors and preparing the stories shared with visitors.

Each of the three featured properties presented a different approach to gardening. Some spaces were formal, while others embraced a softer, more romantic look.

One property offered the day’s biggest surprise. Its contemporary exterior suggested straight lines and restrained landscaping, but visitors passing through discovered a lush, Asian-influenced garden filled with layered plantings.

“From the exterior, you would not have expected that overflowing garden,” Hickman said. “You would have expected straight lines and clean edges.”

The tour also highlighted growing interest in landscaping that supports the environment. Native plants and pollinator-friendly gardens appeared across the properties.

“Native plants are huge. Pollinators are huge,” Hickman said. “We really do need to be intentional about respecting our environment.”

More than 45 people volunteered, including Garden Club members, Master Gardeners, community supporters, friends and students. Docents trained for months to explain architectural features, garden philosophies and the histories of objects inside the homes.

Some guests preferred to quietly absorb the surroundings, while others wanted detailed explanations of nearly every room, planting and design choice.

That storytelling helped make the event more than a conventional house tour. The properties are normally closed to the public, giving visitors a rare opportunity to explore their interiors and gardens while learning why homeowners made particular choices.

Guests repeatedly praised the volunteers’ friendliness, Hickman said, reinforcing the role hospitality plays alongside horticulture.

Attendance stayed steady despite the tour taking place on a Tuesday. Hickman said there was never a lull, and visitors included organized groups from outside Virginia, including one that traveled from Minnesota.

Selecting properties required more than finding attractive homes and gardens. Organizers also considered safety, parking, walkability, interior appeal and the geographic flow between stops.

“It’s so much more than just a pretty house or garden,” Hickman said.

Hickman, who has operated an interior design business since 2002, said the tour’s apparent ease depended on countless details handled behind the scenes. By opening their private spaces, homeowners helped turn months of planning into a day centered on preservation, environmental care and community connection.