Gardeners in our area traditionally mark Mother’s Day as the last frost date to keep themselves from being tempted to plant tender herbs. Fortunately, this weekend is both Mother’s Day and the final weekend of the Gardening Days at Mount Vernon. The link to the events calendar is broken on the Mount Vernon website, but the Alexandria Visitor’s Bureau also has information on this annual event.

Gardening Days at Mount Vernon

* Date(s): 04/11/2009 - 05/10/2009
* Recurring daily
* Time: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
* Location: Mount Vernon: George Washington’s Estate & Gardens 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Mount Vernon, VA 22121
* Phone: (703) 780-2000
* Admission: Free!

Spectacular gardens are in bloom as Mount Vernon hosts its annual outdoor garden and gift sale including ornamentals, perennials and annuals, garden items, books, and heirloom plants propagated from historic cuttings. No admission is required to shop in the Gardening Days tent (located in front of the Mount Vernon Inn Complex).

Be advised that this is a very popular weekend to visit the estate and the parking lots can get very crowded.

If you’ve been fretting over what plants are appropriate to plant in Northern Virginia, the Fall Garden Festival at Green Spring Gardens. In addition to lots of educational programming, they have a special sale of plants that are native to Virginia. The festival, and the sale, are Saturday, September 27th from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.