As the nation’s only statewide house and garden tour, approximately 30 tours are showcased each spring during Historic Garden Week, featuring over 200 private and public sites.

Highlighted properties change every year, making this a unique opportunity for garden lovers, history buffs and those who want to step inside the most spectacular private properties in Virginia. This year, Historic Garden Week will begin Saturday and last through the following Saturday across the commonwealth.

The Garden Club of Gloucester-Mathews will host its Garden Week activities Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., showcasing three private waterfront homes whose owners have cultivated beautiful gardens and collected paintings, sculptures and objets d’art in their travels. Visitors will want to linger and take in the variety and quality of these collections, which are impressive in their sheer numbers. The Fine Arts Museum of Gloucester is also part of Saturday’s tour.

Margaret Singleton is this yea...