Oatlands gardens: Spring blooms 2018

Oatlands, located in Leesburg, is a beautiful historic property open to the public for tours. I try to visit at least once a year, depending on my schedule. I typically learn something new on each tour and it's fun to see Oatlands' remarkable gardens in different stages of seasonal blooms. 

On Friday, a friend was in town who had not yet toured Oatlands, and the weather was right (finally!), so off we went. With the rich blue sky and moderate temperature, it was a perfect day to stroll through Oatlands' fantastic gardens. 

The walled gardens date back to the early 1800s when George Carter planned the space to grow fruits, vegetables and decorative plants. Over the years, especially after the Civil War, the gardens fell into disrepair. In the early 1900s, William and Edit Corcoran Eustis, of Washington, D.C., purchased the property as a leisure estate and Edith took it upon herself to restore the gardens to the splendor that visitors see today. 

Mrs. Eustis had stated in 1923, "...the Oatlands garden was falling into ruins; bricks were crumbling, weeds crowding the flowers and yet the very moss-grown paths seemed to say, "We are still what we were."

Some of her additions included statues, boxwoods and a teahouse. 

Fast-forward to the 21st century and the garden is mostly ornamental, but there are some herbs (and signage indicated some vegetables) planted throughout the garden to honor its agricultural past.

These photos are only a sampling really, the garden is pretty extensive. Oatlands today does a fantastic job of upkeep and the gardens are really lovely.