Southern Byways

How Does Your Garden Grow? Quite Grandly in the South

by Apryl on March 3rd, 2008

Ah, spring time. Warmer weather, longer days and flowers. Lots and lots of flowers. No doubt about it, we love our gardens in the South. Whether its a small garden, or acres and acres of plants, gardens are southerners pride and joy.

There are a number of public gardens to visit throughout the region. Here’s a sampling of what can be found:

• The Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Ark., is situated on a peninsula on Lake Hamilton. The 210-acre garden features the Garden of Pine Wind, a traditional Japanese-style garden with a southern twist, and the colorful Three Sisters of Amity Daffodil Hill.

• There is something about roses. Not everyone has the skill and talent to grow this flower, and perhaps that is why rose gardens are so beautiful. The 14-acre Tyler Municipal Rose Garden, in Tyler, Texas, features antique rose varieties, a demonstration garden as well as a Camellia garden and a Daylily collection.

• Avery Island may be known for as the place where Tabasco is made, but the location is also home to Jungle Gardens. This 250-acre site features azaleas, camellias, bamboo, and a host of wildlife.

• Located in Jackson, Miss., Mynelle Gardens was once a private garden. Today, the seven-acre site is owned by the city and tended to by volunteers. Described as a botanical wonderland, it features azaleas, magnolias and perennials. The garden is also a wildlife sanctuary.

• Created by the Bellingraths, the gardens opened to the public in the early 1930s. Today, the Bellingraths Gardens in Theodore, Ala., has grown into 65-acres of flowers. You never known what to see. The flowers change seasonally, and can feature azaleas in the spring, begonias in the summer, chrysanthemums in the fall, and poinsettias in the winter.

• When Cason and Virginia Callaway purchased 2,500-acre tract of land located in Pine Mountain, Ga., during the 1930s, they actually wanted to use the property as a private retreat for friends and family, but the gardens that the Callaway’s created were so beautiful, they wanted to share it with the world. Today, Callaway Gardens encompasses 13,000-acres. This includes the Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl featuring over 3,000 hybrid azaleas, the seven-acre vegetable garden was the last project developed by Mr. Callaway, and the five-acre John A. Sibley Horticultural Center, which features a tropical conservatory and a fern grotto.

• What began as an experimental garden turned into quite a showcase. At his winter home in Fort Myers, Fla., Thomas Edison established a tropical botanical garden that featured plants from around the world, including a Banyan tree. He has this garden to explore and use the plant products and by-products for his scientific experiments. As a part of continually beautification, his wife later added flowers to the garden. Today, the botanical garden has over a thousand varieties of plants.

• In the mid-1950s, John and Margaret Chambliss turned an old farm into a quite nature escape. The Reflection Riding in Chattanooga, Tenn., is a 3-mile driving loop with opportunities to pull over and smell the flowers. For those who prefer to walk, there are 12 miles of trails and paths.

• Ashland, in Lexington, Ky., was the former residence of Henry Clay. The gardens on the grounds are representative of English gardens. The six sections feature such plantings as shrubs, roses and herbs.

• Every month introduces the growing of different flowers at Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner, S.C. Choose from paddling through the 80-acres of open swamp, or the five-miles of nature paths to see the different flowers and trees.

• The Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo, N.C., was established as a memorial to the first English colonists. The garden features over 500 different plants. Other unique features include the Shakespearean Herb Garden and the Sunken Garden.

• A shade garden, a blue garden, a manor house garden, and a water-wise garden are just few of the garden styles featured at Green Springs Gardens in Alexandria, Va. The property is also a national historic site and features a museum.

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POSTED IN: Gardens, Things to See in Alabama, Things to See in Arkansas, Things to See in Florida, Things to See in Georgia, Things to See in Kentucky, Things to See in Louisiana, Things to See in Mississippi, Things to See in North Carolina, Things to See in South Carolina, Things to See in Tennessee, Things to See in Texas, Things to See in Virginia