ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 17, 1997 TAG: 9704180003
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BETSY BIESENBACH/SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
HISTORIC GARDEN WEEK in Virginia is Saturday through April 26. During this time, historic homes and gardens all over the state are open for the enjoyment of anyone with a ticket.
In Roanoke, the tour is held on one day only. On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., five homes and gardens in the Hunting Hills area will be on display.
Proceeds from the event, which has been held each spring for the past 64 years, go toward restoring and maintaining gardens at historic sites.
Western Virginia projects include the grounds of the chapel at Washington and Lee University, the Fincastle Presbyterian Church and Blacksburg's Smithfield Plantation.
The Roanoke tour is sponsored by the Mill Mountain and Roanoke Valley garden clubs. Organizers say that because the Roanoke Valley was settled more recently than other areas of the state, they have quietly dropped the "historic" designation from the event.
And although there are many beautiful gardens all over the Roanoke Valley, it can be hard to find gardeners willing to participate, said Maryblair Byrd, a co-chairwoman of the tour.
Many people are very protective of their privacy and "would prefer not to show their gardens," Byrd said. Others simply don't want huge crowds trekking through their tulips.
So, the emphasis here tends to be on the houses, most of which have fairly traditional landscaping, rather than on the gardens.
But that hasn't stopped Roanokers from volunteering their homes for the cause.
"We try to get the word out" about the tour, Byrd said, and those who express an interest in showing their homes are selected.
Nor has it hurt ticket sales. Many people who go on the tour are interested in decorating or remodeling, Byrd said. Others come out of "natural curiosity," since most of the homes are in upscale neighborhoods.
Last year, 1,500 people went on the tour. This year, the garden clubs have printed 2,000 tickets.
Among the properties on the tour is the French country home on Hunting Hills Drive owned by Rosemary and Richard Hough.
Built in 1971, it is constructed of oversized hand-molded brick and sits on a 1-acre lot. It was one of the first homes built in Hunting Hills, Richard Hough said.
The garden was designed by Stanley Abbott of Williamsburg, who also helped with the restoration of historic gardens there.
Because the home is built on the side of a mountain, there isn't much room for a front or back yard, but the landscaping makes good use of the steep slopes.
On the wooded hillside in front of the house, beds of ivy and periwinkle cover the ground around the roots of tall, old trees. Near the front entrance, which is framed by two large, healthy boxwoods, is a small courtyard just wide enough for a rustic bench. A paved patio to the side of the house is decorated with statuary and is accessible to Richard Hough's home office through a set of French doors.
In back, the house is surrounded by a brick wall that encloses a sunny courtyard. The beds here are planted with violets, lilies, geraniums, pansies and a special breed of tulips that grow 3 feet tall.
Along the brick wall are apple trees that have been espaliered, or pruned, so they grow flat against it. Beyond the wall, the wooded lot has been planted with rhododendrons and azaleas, which bloom bright pink in the spring. Daisies appear in the summer.
"There are a tremendous number of dogwoods, maybe 30 or 40," on the property, Richard Hough said.
Two more sets of French doors lead from the courtyard to the master bedroom and the kitchen.
The home has an unusual inner hallway downstairs that allows these two rooms to be closed off from the rooms used for entertaining. Large windows throughout the house provide plenty of natural light.
The mantel in the living room is hand-carved, and the home is decorated with family antiques, including a roll-top desk from the 1840s.
After the Houghs agreed to show their home on this year's tour, "I had second thoughts," Richard Hough said.
But "I felt that it was a way to give something back to Roanoke," Rosemary Hough said. "We believe that the garden club needs our support."
Also on the tour is "Newf's Castle," otherwise known as Danny and Janice Wilmer's home on Fox Ridge Road. It is named for their two Newfoundland dogs. It also is of French country design, and the facade is made of limestone taken from an old store building in Giles County.
The house features spectacular views and three large stone fireplaces, as well as a hand-cut crystal chandelier. Outdoors, the gardens are informal, and there are fountains on the terrace and in the courtyard.
If the weather permits, the Wilmers will serve light refreshments from 1 to 3:30 p.m.
JoAnne and Len Boone will show their new English country home, also on Fox Ridge Road.
This home has a circular, cobblestone driveway and walks laid with handmade brick pavers. The Boones have an extensive collection of art from North America and Europe.
The low-maintenance lawn and garden are planted with flowering perennials and annuals.
In the entry hall are French antiques and Turkish rugs. The library has 10-foot ceilings and hand-hewn beams.
The McClung house on Elk Hill drive sits on a 11/2-acre lot. The house is furnished with family antiques and Oriental rugs.
The kitchen features cherry cabinets and granite countertops. The kitchen and the den open to a screened porch that has a built-in grill.
The pool and patio are between the 10th and 18th fairways of the Hunting Hills golf course. A perennial garden has been planted around the pool. In the front and side gardens are azaleas, rhododendrons, holly, dogwoods and maple.
Spring bulbs are blooming at Maryblair and Guy Byrd's home on Village Drive. Theirs is a courtyard home surrounded by a walled garden that contains tree roses, herbs, wildflowers and hosta. There also is a grassy walkway and a goldfish pond. Informal perennial beds line the 8-foot stone wall.
For the past several years, the tour has been held in the South Roanoke neighborhood, but every few years, it moves to Hunting Hills, Byrd said.
This year, because of the hilly terrain, the homes will be accessible only by shuttle bus. Walking is not recommended, Byrd said.
The bus service is free and continuous. Buses will leave from the Hunting Hills Country Club, and ticket holders should park in the swimming pool lot. At 2 p.m., there will be a free floral demonstration given by garden club members.
Tickets are $12 per person and may be ordered by calling 343-4519, or they can be purchased on the day of the tour at each house, at the Hunting Hills Country Club and at the Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs headquarters on Avenham Avenue.
LENGTH: Long : 133 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: KELLY HAHN JOHNSON/THE ROANOKE TIMES. 1. Azaleas andby CNBdwarf apple trees that have been espaliered, or pruned, highlight
the backyard of Rosemary and Richard Hough's Hunting Hills home.
Story on page 6. (ran on cover). 2. Ferns and fisherboys are tucked
into a corner of the patio at the Hunting Hills home of Rosemary and
Richard Hough. 3. Maryblair and Guy Byrd's courtyard home features a
walled garden filled with tree roses, herbs, wildflowers and hosta.
4. The new country home of JoAnne and Len Boone features a lawn and
garden planted with flowering perennials and annuals. color. 5. At
the Hough home, an apple tree that has been espaliered, or pruned,
grows along the wall.