Victorain and Asian Teas in Beautiful Botanical Gardens

The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, VA, offers year-round beauty, with more than 40 acres of spectacular gardens.  Groups of 15 or more can enjoy a tea in the Robins Tea House, a full-service restaurant on the grounds.

A Victorian Tea is complete with an assortment of teas and lemonade, sandwiches made with pimento cheese or chicken salad, Cucumber Potted Shrimp Dip with crackers, a cheese and fruit platter, and scones with cream and jam, with lemon butter cookies and pecan bars for dessert.

An Asian Tea offers an assortment of Asian teas and sparkling water served with ginger shrimp toast, tea eggs with sea salt, Mahogany Sesame Chicken Bites, snow peas with wasabi mayonnaise dip, and almond cookies or coconut macaroons.

Each tea can be “upgraded” to include a tour of the gardens led by a trained guide. Groups can choose from a range of tour topics, depending on interest. The options give visitors an entirely different perspective on the Garden.

For a special accompaniment to the Victorian Tea, guests can enjoy a tour about Lewis Ginter, Richmond's entrepreneur who made and lost a fortune, only to succeed again in the region's tobacco business. He left many landmarks and innovations that forever changed the culture and landscape of the city. An inveterate traveler, he observed how new and developing transportation modes improved commerce in other cities, and transplanted these ideas into his own business strategies. This tour includes Ginter's Victorian-era Bloemendaal House, which is usually closed to the public.  Groups may even have tea in this historical building.

Those enjoying the Asian Tea may take the Asian Valley Exploration, which  includes a cultural landscape visit to all the areas of the Asian Valley created by noted designer Osamu Shimizu. Participants learn how stones, water, and traditional plantings create serene beauty in all seasons.

Reservations are required.  Visit www.lewisginter.org.

Edited by Jennifer L. Price

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