(703) 579-4868 Leesburg, Virginia

The Gardens

Carved from the earth at the dawn of the 19th century, the terraced gardens are one of a kind. From wisteria draped stone walls, to the serenity of the reflecting pond, as you traverse the 4.5-acres, you discover that each space is a room unto itself with special features to capture in your photos, or wow guests.

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Ceremony Spots in the Gardens

Finding a beautiful spot for your ceremony at Oatlands is easy, deciding which beautiful spot to use is the challenge. Other areas of the garden and grounds may be used for ceremonies as well depending on your event size and personal preference from the lower rose garden, mansion lawn, to the mansion’s north porch. The Magnolia and Boxwood Garden spaces are the most popular ceremony spots.

The Magnolia Garden

The gardens at Oatlands’ feature many areas that can be used depending on the size of your wedding. The terraced gardens feature two main ceremony locations pictured here.

The Magnolia Garden, shaded by four giant magnolia trees, is the largest of the garden ceremony spaces—accommodating up to 300 guests. The garden features a white garden arch with a creeping Hydrangea and stone aisleway with a sundial feature is in the garden's center.

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The Boxwood Garden

The Boxwood Garden, with its large backdrop feature “live green wall” and low aisle hedges brings the “secret garden” to life for you wedding ceremony. The boxwood garden can accommodate ceremonies up to 150 guests.

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Photo Spots in the Gardens

The gardens are a photographer’s dream! The Oatlands gardens offer everything: architecture, flowers, gardens, landscapes, vistas and more. The hardest decision to make is when and where to snap your photos. The iconic Tea House, Green Hedge Walkway, and reflection pools offer stunning opportunities at golden hour and blue hour. The light shifts throughout the garden areas and property all day changing what you capture constantly. Photography time is always included with a venue rental or event scheduled. Photography passes are also offered for professionals to schedule their own shoots on a daily or yearly basis. Additional information regarding the photography passes is available here: https://oatlands.org/photography/

The Tea House Walk

The Tea House Walk has year around tall green boxwood hedges and grass walkways. Whether you begin at the tea house or the fountain, this space is one of the most iconic and photographed areas in the garden, especially for engagement and bridal pictures.

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The Top of the Stairs

As you begin to explore the gardens, pause to capture the beauty of this area with the brick pillars that frame the mansion profile, black iron gate, and stone garden buildings

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Statues

Upon her to arrival to Oatlands in 1903, Edith Eustis, much like our visitors today, fell in love with the gardens. After many years of neglect, Edith set herself the task of restoring the gardens. As the plantings fell into place, so did some decorative pieces that survive today. The statues, various stone planters and benches lend a sense of even greater vintage to an already aged garden.

“Rusty”, the steadfast cast iron dog guarding the south stair, is believed to be a rescue from Corcoran House in Washington, D.C. Prior to the home’s demolition in the 1920’s, Rusty found his forever home in the Oatlands garden.

At the turn of the 20th century, there grew a fascination for collecting classical pieces as items of interest in the garden. The Venetian well at the base of the garden is a prime example.

Enjoying the shade of mighty magnolias is a pink marble tortoise, entrusted with the care of the Italian sundial on his back. The sundial’s face reads, “time passes, memories remain.” The Madonna & Child, a copy of the original La Vierge d’Autun, is set in a quiet corner as a remembrance for Edith’s daughter Babs, taken from her by tuberculosis in 1936. (Babs, ill off and on since 1931, once wrote,) “life is too short to hurry”. As you descend the stone steps to the east, you emerge from the boxwood grove to find a reflecting pond. Constructed in the 1930s, the pond is watched over by a young faun statue.

The large planter, perhaps a repurposed wellhead on the boxwood parterre, sits at the centerpiece of Edith’s original design. Presumably Italian, it features various classical themes.

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Bottom of the Stairs

This area is a photography favorite with the largest pond and fountain in the garden, large boxwood arch framing the bottom of the stairway, the tea house in the distant background and access to some hidden garden spots.

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Reception Areas in the Gardens

Celebrate in the beauty of the outdoors and the beauty of the gardens from small intimate affiars, sit down dinners, to large receptions, get creative with your set up and decor to make the most of these beautiful event areas.

The Upper Garden

The upper garden has serval smaller and intimate areas on a few different terraced levels that allow for events to be set up with mingling encouraged. In addition to extended views over the gardens from this event space, the Historic Mansion also provides a stunning backdrop.

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The Lower Garden

Down the path and hidden behind the boxwood hedges that line one side of the tea house walk, the lower garden features two main areas set on two different levels, from the rose garden space with great views of the Carter Barn and the lower area with its small pod, and original family crypt.

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The Mansion Lawn

A focal point of the property, the expansive mansion lawn offers views overlooking the gardens and expansive mountain views to the west. A great space for receptions and more, set with the mansion backdrop, large Magnolia tree in the center of its white stone circular drive.

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