Historic Garden Week in Virginia

FAIRFAX CLUB TOUR:
 GREAT FALLS

Sponsored by The Garden Club of Fairfax

Tuesday, April 22, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

THIS IS A SHUTTLE BUS TOUR.  THERE IS NO PUBLIC PARKING AT OR NEAR THE HOMES & GARDENS.  HOUSES CAN ONLY BE VISITED THROUGH THE SHUTTLE BUS SERVICE. 

Co-Chairmen:
  Roz Jones (Mrs. Michael D.) 
  10503 Hunting Crest Lane
  Vienna, VA 22182
  Telephone:  (703) 759-6573
  E-Mail:  jones.gus@att.net

  Judith Landolt-Korns (Mrs. Richard E.)
  11720 Amkin Drive
  Clifton, VA 20124
  Telephone:  (703) 250-1615
  E-Mail:  jlandoltkorns@aol.com

TICKETS:  $20 prior to tour day; $25 day of tour.  Children 13 and older, full price; ages 6-12, $10; ages 5 and under, free of charge.  Tickets may be purchased on tour day at Christ the King Lutheran Church, on shuttles from the Great Falls Library, and at any of the properties open for the tour.  Tickets will not be sold at the library.  Please do not call the church or library.  Children age 17 and under must be accompanied at all times by a parent or other responsible adult.  Participating homeowners, The Garden Club of Fairfax and
The Garden Club of Virginia are not responsible for accidents occurring on the tour. 

ADVANCE TICKETS:  For advance tickets with map and brochure, please send a self-addressed, stamped, legal-size envelope, along with your check payable to The Garden Club of Fairfax by April 14 to Mrs. George Whipple, 11508 Yates Ford Rd., Fairfax Station, VA 22039.  Telephone (703) 978-4130. Tickets may also be purchased in advance for an additional fee with a credit card by accessing www.VAGardenweek.org.

Please Note:  This is a SHUTTLE TOUR, from two parking lots, each shuttling to two homes/gardens.  There is no public parking at or near the homes/gardens.  You will be shuttled from each parking lot to two homes/gardens, and then shuttled back to that parking lot.  Because parking is limited at the church and library, you will then drive your vehicle to the other parking lot to be shuttled to the remaining two homes/gardens.  You may start at either Christ the King Lutheran Church parking lot & Hospitality Center or the Great Falls Library parking lot.  You will be shuttled to two homes/gardens from each parking lot.  The last shuttle will leave the parking lots by 3:30 p.m.  The last shuttle will leave each home/garden at 4 p.m.  

1)  Christ the King Lutheran Church
      Parking Lot & Hospitality Center
     10550 Georgetown Pike
     Great Falls, VA 22066

Directions from Rt. 495 to the Lutheran Church:
Take Exit 47A (Rt. 7 West- Leesburg Pike) toward Tysons Corner.  Proceed on Rt. 7W for 7 mi. to the light at Springvale Rd. (Rt. 674).  (There is a nursery on the right.)  Turn right on Springvale Rd.  Travel 1.5 mi. and turn right onto Georgetown Pike (Rt. 193).  Travel 0.1 mi.
(one-tenth mi.) and turn left into Christ the King Lutheran Church.  Please park in the back.

2)  The Great Falls Library Parking Lot
     9830 Georgetown Pike
     Great Falls, VA 22066

Directions from Rt. 495 to the Great Falls Library:
Take exit 44 (Rt. 193).  At the end of the exit ramp, turn left onto Rt. 193W toward Great Falls.  Proceed on Rt. 193 for 5 mi.  Turn right into the Great Falls library, just past the Grange and Bucks Ln.

RESTROOM FACILITIES: at the Christ the King Lutheran Church and the Great Falls Library.

LUNCHEON:  There are numerous restaurants in the village and area of Great Falls where lunch may be purchased.  Restaurant information and a map will be available at Christ the King Lutheran Church and at each house/garden.

NOTE:Smoking, backpacks, strollers, high heels, interior photography and use of cell phones are not permitted.  Shuttle buses, private homes and gardens are not wheelchair-accessible. 

GROUP AND TOUR BUS INFORMATION:  Large motor coaches will need special accommodations.  Please contact either co-chairman listed above.

  ASH  HOME AND GARDEN, 704 Gouldman Lane, Great Falls.  This striking contemporary house, with accents of stone and glass. was custom-built in 1981 for the present owners.  The residence is the heart of a beautifully landscaped five-acre garden.  Inside, a color pallet of varying tints of beige is the perfect backdrop for the couple’s eclectic collection of art and sculpture.  Floor-to-ceiling windows and abundant glass doors provide year-round views and easy access to the surrounding gardens.  The back of the house opens out to an entertainer’s dream with a terraced pool and a covered dining area that seats numerous guests.  The pool house includes a full kitchen and bath where one can have all the comforts and still enjoy the outdoors.
  The beauty of this home is surpassed only by the splendor of the multiple gardens.  With subtle transitions, one wanders peacefully through numerous themed areas: woodland, conifer, succulent, perennial, rose and white gardens.  The woodlands sparkle with unusual varieties of azaleas, pieris, bleeding hearts, rhododendron, trillium, bluebells, and an abundance of springtime bulbs.   Towering mature trees, many covered with climbing vines of clematis, honeysuckle, hydrangea and Dutchman’s pipe, provide a verdant canopy. Wandering paths inspire a leisurely meander through the deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs, bulbs, groundcovers, herbs, annuals and perennials.   A goldfish pond and waterfall, fountains, benches and whimsies add special interest to this idyllic setting.  Near the end of the garden is a separate garage which houses the owners’ collection of luxury cars including Maseratis, Ferraris and Lamborghinis.  Throughout the house and gardens are unusual finds and treasures collected by the owners on their many travels, many have names – all have stories.  Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week.  Allie and Ellen Ash, owners.

Great Falls—deLaski Home

  de LASKI HOME AND GARDEN, 100 Interpromontory Road, Great Falls.  A curving driveway leads to this stately brick Georgian where a statue of a smiling young girl welcomes you.  The current owner recently redecorated this 1984 house in a casual, elegant style that he refers to as European transitional.  The house has six fireplaces, and the first floor boasts a number of rooms including a library, piano room and summer porch.  Constructed entirely of mahogany, the conservatory gives a panoramic view of the outside entertainment areas and gardens.  Most walls are adorned with special paints or textured finishes that provide an attractive backdrop for the family’s art collection.  The family room fireplace mantel was once a massive beam in an 18th century Amish barn.  The décor of the master bedroom suite, inspired by the Inn of Five Graces in Santa Fe, New Mexico, includes a wonderful blend of antique Tibetan woods and artifacts and Southwestern textiles.   In the lower level, it’s evident that an entertaining and musical family resides here, with the multiple musical instruments, practice area, wine cellar, bar and comfortable lounge area.
  Outside the conservatory is a beautiful stone terrace with a stone and wrought-iron walled swimming pool.  Bounding on both sides of the house are established gardens that beg a meander to admire the beautiful spring plantings.  Other delights include a gazebo, a small waterfall and pool and a sitting area in the shade garden.  Surrounding the residence are mature cherry trees, magnolias, dogwood, mountain laurel and azaleas.  Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week.  Ken de Laski, owner.

  MALESARDI HOME AND GARDEN, 347 Walker Road, Great Falls.  Wanting to preserve this three-generational family farmhouse, the present owners embarked on a special mission to protect the history and character of this c. 1942 home.  They lived in the original building for 13 years before consulting with numerous architects, most of whom were interested in demolishing the original structure.  They then found a young architect who was willing to work with them to design a residence that maintained the original footprint of the farmhouse.   In the ensuing renovation, they kept the original stacked-stone foundation and house and added an additional 12 rooms.  This renovation perfectly suited the owners’ vision and lifestyle.   The original kitchen became a bathroom, and the original dining room became a bedroom.  The new kitchen, with its extensive walk-in pantry, is the piece de resistance for the lady of the house, who is a gourmet cook.
  While filming a television special program on the owners’ kitchen, HGTV found the house to be irresistible and have filmed two more shows highlighting its comfort and livability for the modern young family.  Combined traditional and contemporary features include high ceilings, wide hallways, and an open floor plan.  The interior is handsomely adorned with antique quilts, handmade baskets, and paintings and prints by local and national artists.  Much of the artwork is contemporary and includes works by Washington Color School artists.  Guests will enjoy the owners’ unusual and eclectic finds gathered from their various travels.  A two-story, five-stall barn is home to the family’s horses, as well as an upper-level entertainment area which has been wired for a party and a band.   Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week.  Michael and Kelly Malesardi, owners.

  DOMAINE ST. CHARLES GARDEN, 9315 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.   The gardens of Domaine St. Charles are the passion of noted garden designer Charles Lang Owen and his wife Betsy.  Numerous trips to the Provence region of France for business and pleasure inspired the couple to recreate some of the romance and beauty they fell in love with. The simple 17th century-style stuccoed manor house, rustic stonework, aged iron, carved limestone, pea-gravel drive and boxwood parterre all work together to give the relatively new garden that aged look. The couple decided that the house and gardens should look as if they had been there for generations.  The main drive from the street features stone columns and multi-stem topiaried crape myrtle banded by boxwood parterre and red carpet roses with assorted grasses and annuals to greet guests.
  Columnar Armstrong maples line the main drive to the courtyard which contains a pea-gravel court, a limestone fountain, and rose and boxwood parterre with an aerial hedge of standardized hollies.  Boxwoods also band the annual and perennials beds.  The formal garden features an oval bowling green and is surrounded by boxwood and blooming crab apple, bordering Marie Pavier roses which boom a very pale pink in the spring.  The upper garden incorporates a circular open pavilion with a stone seat wall, offering a commanding long view of the entire garden and lower garden composed of Amelanchier, variegated hosta and Skip laurels.  This area leads to a natural-style pond of water plants and Japanese Koi.  Many other simple garden rooms continue the path around the house and lead to a pool, pavilion, Bocce court, pool with water spray, built-in stone spa and rear kitchen garden and barbeque.  The garden has been the site of several family weddings and numerous parties.  Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week.  Charles and Elizabeth Owen, owners.