Welcome to the 85th annual Georgetown Garden Tour!

This year, as an additional attraction, Georgetown Garden Tour ticket holders are invited to enjoy a tour of Dumbarton Oaks Park, ‘America’s Secret Garden’, a National Park Service property below the private Dumbarton Oaks Garden. The naturalistic garden was originally part of Mildred and Robert Bliss’s Dumbarton Oaks Estate. Docents with the Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy will be on hand from 12:00 until 2:30 pm to describe the history and features of the Park, to highlight restoration efforts, and speak about two major challenges facing the Park; stormwater runoff and invasive plants are common problems in many residential gardens. The path to the Park is somewhat downhill on smooth asphalt; paths within the Park are level but unpaved. (adapted from www.georgetowngardentour.com)

This year’s tour will take place on Saturday May 11, 2013, and feature some of Georgetown’s most intriguing gardens, open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Over the years, the garden tour has featured a wide variety of gardens with spacious sweeping lawns and majestic trees to intimate outside rooms.

Christ Church, 31st and O Streets NW, will serve as headquarters for the Tour. In addition to purchasing tickets at the Church, you may also peruse the unique Garden Boutique which will offer beautiful topiaries, fine porcelain vases, and unusual gardening tools for sale.

Included in your ticket price is a delectable afternoon tea served at Keith Hall, Christ Church from 2 PM until 4 PM. Always a popular feature of the tour, the tea includes light refreshments made and served by members of the Georgetown Garden Club.

The tour is presented each year by the Georgetown Garden Club, an affiliate of the Garden Club of America; is supported by the generous contributions of neighbors and local merchants; and benefits local environmental and beautification projects. Tickets are not required for this portion of the Georgetown Garden Club Tour because it is your public land managed by Rock Creek Park.