Bellevue Garden Walk Returns April 25 

The Bellevue Garden Walk may well be the most intimate of garden tours in the region, and each year (except for the one just past) it has consistently illustrated the beauty, the individuality and the creative drive of Bellevue homeowners reflected in their mini-estates. 

What’s more you can get a close look at your neighbor’s garden without being charged with trespassing, which in Virginia can fetch a $2500 fine and up to twelve months in jail.

Scheduled this year from 1 till 5 pm on April 25, the Garden Walk includes about fifteen homes in Bellevue. Homeowners on the garden tour will open their yards, and many of them will offer refreshments. In conjunction with their gardens, some homeowners will be displaying their own artwork, or that of local artists. There will even be live music in some of the gardens. 

This annual free event, which began about thirty years ago, is a great way of getting ideas for your own garden. Here’s what the homeowner at 1505 Bellevue Avenue wrote about their garden: “We feel that if you plant something, it should end up on your plate or in a vase. Combining beauty and function, our yard features a cutting garden, fruit trees, a maple-shaded hammock and a handsome pergola for our concord grapes. Enjoy cold lemonade in the lounge area, featuring mixed media art. Flea market paintings have been garnished with deconstructed costume jewelry from the matriarchs of our family.”

And over on Fauquier, these participants of this year’s Garden Walk wrote: “We started transforming our yard into an urban farmette in 2020 when the pandemic gave us more time at home to tackle the mess of weeds and shrubs inherited when we bought the home in 2019. Using bio-intensive practices, we try to grow as many fruits, herbs, and vegetables as possible to support our family. A small flock of chickens help maintain the grass and turn over garden soil when needed.”

For more information check out the Bellevue Civic Association’s Facebook page.