Visitors' Comments
Comments
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Very beautiful gardens!
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Dear Lesley and Tom,
We wish to express our sincere appreciation for your kindness and generosity of spirit in guiding our visit to your lovely home and gardens yesterday.
P.S. You are both so cool!
We wish we had had more teachers like you two!! -
Thank you Lesley for sending the pictures of us at Birdsong Gardens! We so loved our time there!
Most Sincerely,
Sue Glover
Centreville Garden Club -
Dear Lesley and Tom,
Thank you for welcoming us to your little piece of heaven last weekend. Your gardens are lovely, educational, and inspiring, a testament to what three decades, a great vision, and a lot of hard work can accomplish. As I look out at all the tasks that await me in my garden, I'm especially overwhelmed by your generosity in opening it for visitors and giving such an interesting and comprehensive tour. We enjoyed it immensley.
Sincerely,
Lesley Bell -
Thank you for a great afternoon.
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I visited Birdsong Pleasure Garden today with friends while off from work. It was a wonderful getaway that we all appreciated. I enjoyed seeing all the plants and landscaping with the mountains nearby. Tom gave us a tour and did a wonderful job explaining everything. My friends and I all said after leaving that he was exceptionally kind. I would definitely recommend making a stop here.
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Great place to visit. Really enjoyed the tour and the property!
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Dear Lesley,
Thank you so much for the enchanting tour. It feels like heaven to be in your garden. I only wish I had more time to have seen the cutting garden.
Next time.
Take care,
Elaine and Andy -
Tom & Lesley!
Thank you very much for the extremely interesting tour! -
Dear Lesley,
Lovely views, thank you again for your personal tour. What a transformation to your property from when you first moved in! -
Hi Lesley,
Thanks so much for the lovely tour that you provided for Centreville Garden Club.
Your landscape is absolutely stunning and a joy to walk through.
We can tell that both you and your husband are passionate about nature and gardening.
All your hard work shows!
I loved seeing the frogs, butterflies, bees and hearing all the birds who clearly love sharing
Your beautiful land. -
We are Keith and Susan from McLean in Fairfax County, Virginia. We visited and toured on May 30. Thank you so much for the experience that was one of the highlights of our Shenandoah River trip.
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Very lovely, pristine place.
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Lesley,
What a pleasure to meet you and Tom yesterday! Your gardens are stunning. You have inspired me so I guess you won't be surprised when I tell you I weeded three raised gardens yesterday afternoon. -
Darrell Walters
My wife, friend, and I enjoyed visiting this quaint garden. The homeowners have worked hard for the last 30 years creating this tranquil garden paradise. We enjoyed seeing all the beautiful perennials, shrubs, and trees that they have decorated with. We especially loved the pond at the entrance and enjoyed the swing looking out over the beautiful Massanutten Mountains. After the tour, we enjoyed a picnic lunch while swinging on the swing and looking at the mountain range. We enjoyed a charcuterie board and some delicious sangria. It was a perfect day to tour this beautiful garden. We gave a donation at the end and Lesley told me that all donations go to land conservation in Virginia. How wonderful! If you enjoy nature and love plants, this would be a great place to visit! -
Tom and Lesley:
I so enjoyed the tour you gave Del and me Friday. Your gardens are truly outstanding and Tom couldn’t have been more gracious, answering every question, accommodating my dog, and sharing such a wealth of information.
While on the golf cart, I mentioned a book about plants that I am enjoying so much. It is Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It is not about plants so much as looking at plants, and our relationship to them. The author draws upon her Native American heritage as well as her scientific training, all interspersed with moments of her own life. It is so well- written, and If you’re into audible books, she reads it herself, ( on Chirp app) in a beautiful, soothing voice. Given the time thetwo of you have devoted to plants, I think you would enjoy it.
Again, thank you, and I hope I have a chance to visit again some time.
Patricia Brady -
Tom,
Bob, Steven, and I want to thank you for the wonderful time that we had at your gardens yesterday. Your tour was so informative, and we learned so much. I hope we didn’t overstay our welcome, but we were enjoying ourselves immensely. I hope you and your wife are feeling better today. We hope to return to your gardens sometime soon, and we will recommend your gardens as a must-see destination to our friends.
Again, thank you for sharing your beautiful creations with us.
Fondly,
Susan Mears -
Lesley and Tom,
Thank you so much for hosting the Narrow Passage Chapter, NSDAR, meeting and allowing us to tour Birdsong Pleasure Garden. We appreciate all of your work and contributions to preservation and conservation. -
Simply can't imagine a more delightful and enjoyable place to make a new friend. Lesley was a wonderful tour guide and thoroughly knowledgeable docent and gardener. Such beautiful gardens! Such variety. So artistic.
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Dear Tom and Lesley,
Thank you for a wonderful day on Tuesday. It was a real joy to see all the wonderful flowers, trees and fish pond.
The ride on the golf cart was an added bonus.
I hope you will enjoy the kitchen towel. I crochet the top and hope you will think of me whenever you use it.
The whole da was great and enjoyed a great deal.
Sincerely, Vera Flint -
Dear Lesley & Tom,
Thanks so much for the wonderful tour of your wonderful garden. It was such a pleasurable event for me. I can't say enough wonderful things about it. I am so impressed with all aspects, the beauty, the hard work, the planning, etc.
Best Regards,
Nisi -
Hi Lesley,
Thank you for the wonderful tour. I love, love your garden.
It was nice meeting you and Tom. You two have created a little piece of heaven in your 3 acres of land!
Thank you for the picture.
Best Regards,
Violeta and Chris -
Dear Lesley,
Mom and I had such a good time! I am still in awe of all the work you've have to put in to make your gardens so gorgeous, and you fully deserved all those awards I saw. Mom was very touched by your kindness in providing the golf cart, and thoroughly enjoyed the extended tour. Thanks so much, and we absolutely hope to come back. -
Tom & Lesley,
Thank you so much for your hospitality during my visit at Birdsong Pleasure Garden. What a special treat!
JMU owes so much credit to you for your passion and support to help grow the university. I'm looking forward to seeing you again in the spring.
Stay well,
Jacqueline Painter
Beekeeper and owner of
Anchor Ridge Farm
Timberville, Virginia -
Lesley and Tom -
Thank you for creating such a lovely garden and sharing it with us all! You two are still great teachers...now regarding the environment, ecology and plants. Stay safe and enjoy the quieter, cooler season in peace!
All the best, -
Mr. and Mrs. Mack,
Thank you so much for giving Leanne and I a tour of your wonderful garden and spending you time with us. I could not have imagined how amazing it would look; your efforts really show in the tidy and well-tended arrangements. We would absolutely love to come back to visit in the future, if you'll have us. Best wishes, -
Hi Lesley,
We so enjoyed our visit today, please thank Tom for the tour and the patience with our son who likes to make all the possible mistakes 😂
Thank you both for creating such a gorgeous garden and the fresh produce!
I'll be writing Yelp and Trip Advisor reviews this week. We hope to return later with our parents and/ or friends.
Thanks again!
Natalie, Corinne & Ethan -
Wow. What a treat!
Not only is this an amazing personal garden, but you get to share with Tom and Lesley their story over their 25 years at this home. This was a highlight of our trip and we strongly recommend this. Did I mention he donates the entrance fee to a local preservation group? As you are walking around, keep in mind the two of them do this with no tractor or outside help. -
Dear Leslie and Tom,
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the beautiful day Saturday August 8 that Rachel and I were able to share with you. Your garden is amazing: a labor of love, a great work of art, and truly a lifetime achievement. Your graciousness and generosity in sharing your space, especially during the pandemic, has given us courage and inspiration.
When I drove past the strip malls outside of Luray proper, I was struck by the enormous contrast: crowds of people frequenting Wal-mart and fast food establishments, and the three of us strolling through the beauty of nature as you have envisioned it. I was greatly saddened by the poverty of our culture, and also inspired by the ability of two people - the two of you - to make such a contribution to the well-being of the entire community.
We leave you with the hope, prayer, and blessing that your generosity will be returned to you many times over.
Sincerely,
Katherine and Rachel -
From the Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce
What a wonderful opportunity for folks to see your hard work at its best! What a beautiful place, your Birdsong Pleasure Garden. You both are an inspiration. -
August 3, 2020
Thank you for helping me celebrate my birthday. It was an amazing experience for my family. Jessica and family Patrice, Zane, Justin and Brenden -
Dear Lesley and Tom, How can we thank you enough for making Wynonah's 20th birthday such a special and beautiful one? The father-daughter outing, to a surprise location, was a real way to brighten her up. We are deeply grateful,
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Dear Lesley, I hope you, Tom and the garden are well. The members of the Northern Shenandoah Valley Ext. Master Gardeners Class of 2020 wish to thank you; we all very much enjoyed experiencing the garden during our pruning lab (which we all attended pre covid). We appreciate the opportunities it gave us and future classes for hands-on learning.
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Dear Lesley & Tom, I wanted to thank you for letting the 2020 Master Gardener class invade your garden. I had such a wonderful time seeing everything you've done with your land! You have been an inspiration - I am planning to do several projects at my house based on things you've done. Thank you so much!
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Tom and Lesley, What a perfect day we had out at Birdsong Pleasure Garden. Thank you for hosting the pruning lab. The comments and feedback from the class members was 100% positive. Your garden is an inspiration for many. Thank you for sharing it with the Master Gardener Class of 2020.
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Dear Birdsong Pleasure Garden, Thank you for allowing our 4-H day camp to visit your beautiful flower wonderland! The plants were so interesting we really enjoyed our time. Sincerely, 4-H Day Camp
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All the elements of a pleasure garden are contained within the garden. Your mature collection of conifers is impressive as well as the beautiful views from the property. I would suggest a visit to get a feel for a model of a pleasure garden.
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Dear Lesley & Tom, This a belated thank you for the wonderful tour you gave to me and my 2 companions last week. I was so impressed with what you have done. It must bring you great pleasure to live there! You have quite a collection of impressive trees, especially the $4 River birches! Thank you for all the time and botanical information you shared with us! Best Wishes, Chris
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I’ve been wanting to tell you something. The last ten minutes of my yoga class is a meditation time when the instructor suggests we visit our favorite place in our minds as we do our breathing and relaxation. My favorite place is your garden with its endless beauty, colors, textures, variety, vistas, and little and big surprises to discover from one moment to the next. I’ve been to the Grand Canyon, Sedona and Yosemite but Birdsong Pleasure Garden is my special place.
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Lesley & Tom,
I want to thank you for the wonderful Tea and tour yesterday; it was delightful.
The Tea was delicious, the tour was great and you and Tom are so kind and helpful. It was a learning experience and I purchased some of the plants for my garden. As you can tell, I just cannot say enough. We are so lucky to have you and Tom to share your knowledge. I will return to met you again. Linda Reed, Apple Valley Garden Club, Winchester VA -
Hi Leslie,
Look what my daughters decided to make after they saw the wreath I made in your class. (photo not included, here).
Had a great time hope to bring them to see your garden sometime. -
Want to thank you for a most enjoyable visit. Everyone had a really fun and informative time. We all learned a lot. I met some of your garden club members at the Inn and enjoyed a short visit with them. I hope to come out for the tea in June.
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Hi Leslie, (Lesley)
Both Fred and I so enjoyed meeting you and the wonderful tour you gave of your gardens. So informative and fun. Thanks so much for all the time you spent with us!
Diane and Fred -
Jacob Swartz House Guest Cottage B&B
Lesley your tour was wonderful. You're at the top of my list for recommendations for things to do in the area. Truly inspiring and your passion and love of nature shines in all your gardens! -
Hi Lesley,
Thank you so much for everything—taking the time to talk with us and answering our questions. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and walked away with flower and creative sculpture ideas!
It’s always great to talk with others that have a passion for gardening whether floral or vegetables. And, I’ve already picked out a great low carb/sugar recipe for the green peppers to which I’ll be adding two red ones from my garden, also.
We had a fabulous time exploring the Shenandoah Valley and Birdsong was a major reason.
Thank you, again,
Marilyn -
Birdsong Pleasure Garden is the perfect stop for individuals who are avid gardeners or who enjoy bird watching. This garden is privately owned. An appointment is required to view the garden. The owners, Lesley and Tom, are lovely people who are very knowledgeable about plants and the birds which inhabit their garden. Upon arrival, you will be met by Lesley who will be your tour guide. She takes you through the garden explaining about the plants in residence. The garden has been well planned so there is always something in bloom. There are many birdhouses on the property which draw the birds to the garden. I would recommend this for Garden Club members or small groups. I would not recommend this for small children. There is really nothing to keep them occupied. If visiting, I would say to a lot about 2 hours for the complete tour.
(Owner's note- Just to let you know, both Tom and I were Elementary School teachers. We are able to gear tours for folks of all ages - those quite young to those young at heart - so that everyone finds pleasure in the garden!) -
Such a nice place to go ... We enjoyed Tom's private tour so much. We definitely want to go back in another time. Make sure to call for an appointment before you go...
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Hi,
Here is a donation for your lovely garden! My cousin brought us to it last month. I love to garden, too, so I do understand how much work it takes.
Thanks for sharing such a beautiful, fulfilling place! -
Dear Birdsong Pleasure Garden,
Thank you for allowing our 4-H Day Camp to visit your beautiful flower wonderland! The plants were so interesting We really enjoyed our time. Sincerely,
4-H Day Camp,
Stanley, Virginia -
Dear Lesley and Tom,
This a belated thank you for the wonderful tour you gave to me and my two companions last week. I was so impressed with what you have done. It must bring you great pleasure to live there! You have quite a collection of impressive trees, especially the $4 River Birches!
Again, thank you for all the time and botanical information you shared with us!
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