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Birmingham Botanical Gardens' Map Legend
- Sonat Lake
- Formal Garden & Queen’s Gates
- All-American Selections Garden
- Blount Plaza (entrance to The Gardens)
- Garden Center
- Leaf & Petal at The Gardens Gift Shop
- Strange Auditorium
- Linn-Henley Lecture Hall
- Blount Education Center
- The Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens
- Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens Offices
- Administration & Reservation Offices
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System
- Gerlach Plant Information Center
- Hill Garden
- Kayser Lily Pool
- Cochran Water Wall
- Ireland Gazebo
- Dunn Formal Rose Garden
- Ireland Old-Fashioned Rose Garden
- Crape Myrtle Garden
- Conservatory
- Desert House
- Camellia House
- Samford Orchid Display Room
- Enabling Garden
- Thompson Enthusiast’s Garden
- Forman Garden
- Bruno Vegetable Garden
- Herb Terrace
- Hess Camellia Garden
- Bog Gardens
- Kaul Wildflower Garden
- Fern Glade
- Curry Rhododendron Garden
- Little One’s Memory Garden
- Abroms Rhododendron Species Garden
- Jemison Lily Garden
- Hosta Walk
- Ireland Iris Garden
- Southern Living Garden
- Lawler Gates
- McReynolds Garden
- Barber Alabama Woodlands
- Rushton Garden
- Hulsey Woods
- Asian Glade
- Japanese Gardens
- Torii (“Gateway to Heaven”)
- Taylor Gate
- Bonsai pavilion
- Toshin-an (tea house)
- Japanese Cultural Paviolion
Sonat Lake & Entrance
The main entrance to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens is off Lane Park Road, where a rough-hewn granite sign marks the way. The entry drive curves gently around Sonat Lake, which was given by the Southern Natural Gas Company, now a part of El Paso Corporation. From here, visitors get a commanding view of the Formal Garden and Conservatory through the Queen’s Gates. Three massive Water Oaks dominate the highly reflective water body, and a seating area beneath them provides a popular shaded spot for family portraits. On the opposite side, a collection of moisture-loving Hibiscus offer up their huge blossoms as summer treats. Aquatic plants featuring hardy water lilies and lotus grace Sonat Lake with their seasonally lush foliage and unique flowers. The area was designed by the local landscape architectural firm of Nimrod Long & Associates, and was dedicated in 1988.
Formal Garden
Spreading out in front of the Conservatory is the Formal Garden, designed by Tommy Holcombe and Kerry Wood. The large, oval central greensward is a haven for sun lovers, and provides a majestic setting for the glasshouses and the1995 Chenoweth entrance to the Conservatory beyond. That feature was designed by Jay Starbuck and included modifications to the Hammond clock*, where the hours are designated by quaint Frank Fleming animal sculptures. The surrounding Cabaniss Walk, a crushed stone path, is a favored route for walkers and joggers. The walk is lightly shaded by a double allee of crape myrtles that add their brilliant yet delicate flowers from mid-summer through early fall. At the northern end, a large Metasequoia glyptostroboides, dawn redwood, adds its grandeur to this elegant space.
This garden is most often seen from the entrance road, through the elegant wrought iron Queen’s Gates and across Wade Walk. The former were designed by the late George Gambrill in 1988 and given by Lura Fowlkes Lanier in memory of her mother, Lura Brown Fowlkes; the latter forms the east-west axis. Bordered by these gates and a high stucco wall, the Formal Garden is dominated along its north-south axis by two fountains; the north fountain was given by Everett Holle in memory of Evelyn Hughes Holle, and the south was given in memory of Juliet Perry Dixon by her children and grandchildren. In both locations, water cascades out of large iron urns, splashing and echoing into pools below and adding the pleasant sound of water to the adjacent plazas and seating areas. Several times each year, this grand garden provides a spectacular setting for concerts given by the Alabama Symphony. The southwest entrance of the Formal Garden was given in loving memory of Marie Dawkins Bodenhausen by her family and friends and dedicated in 1993.
Blount Plaza
The formal entrance to The Gardens stretches from the parking lot arbor in the east, across the entrance road, under the bridge that links the Garden Center with the Belvedere, and up to the Color Bowl, a raised octagonal planter, to the west. Interesting plants can be seen at both ends and the middle. Anchoring the east is a great specimen of the contorted filbert, also known as Harry Lauder’s walking stick. To the west, shrub and perennial plantings highlight the “Moon Tree”, a large American sycamore that, as a seedling, orbited the moon on Apollo 14 in 1976. Next to this area is the Salvia Border, planted with hardy and tender types of ornamental sage, a favorite of hummingbirds.
The Blount Plaza was designed by Charles Greiner and Alex Vare, and named for Frances D. Blount in honor of her fund raising efforts for garden renovations. It was dedicated in 1988 and welcomes visitors every day of the year with colorful containers and planters filled with rotating displays of bright winter pansies and spring bulbs, and lush tropicals in summer and fall. During day and evening special events, the plaza is transformed into a vibrant, multi-use, activity-filled space. Commanding center stage is Granite Garden, by Jesus Moroles (1988), a sculpture of red granite in three parts. The ranks of rectangular uprights along the road symbolize human relationships; the rectangular uprights set in a rough circular field suggest human/nature interactions; the sinuous fountain shapes represent nature without bounds.
This important, human-scaled work was funded by Arnold and Rose Steiner, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Garden Center
The 60,000 square foot Garden Center is the focal point of horticultural activity for the metropolitan Birmingham area and all of central Alabama. This stylish neo-classical structure hosts well over 1,000 meetings, classes, flower shows, functions, fund raising events and private parties each year. A number of gracious rooms, some with kitchen access, are available for public rental. The Garden Center houses the Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Administrative and Reservations Offices, Birmingham Botanical Gardens Library, Blount Education Center, Gatehouse Gift Shop, Southern Living Lobby, C. Beaty Hanna Horticulture and Environmental Center (with state-of-the-art plant diagnostic and micropropagation laboratories), herbarium, Gardens Cafe by Kathy G, Gerlach Plant Information Center and the future Arrington Children’s Plant Zone.
As seen today, this elegant stucco building was developed in two phases, following the designs of two local architects. Most recently, the Blount Education Center, including the Southern Living Lobby and Linn-Henley Lecture Hall, was added in 1998 by Rick Sprague of Henry Sprott Long and Associates. Earlier, in 1988, John Carraway’s plan included the Strange Auditorium, restaurant and the rooms above. In addition, he beautifully united architecture and garden; his Plaza Bridge strides confidently over the Blount Plaza, and the Belvedere commands a dramatic view across the Hill Garden directly below, to the Formal Garden in the distance. The Garden Center is open to the public from 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays and most weekends.* We are closed on city holidays.
Hill Garden
This stylish garden acts as an architectural extension of the Garden Center, as elegant limestone staircases wind down from the bridge and Belvedere above and link building elements to the garden below. Given in memory of Nelson Page and Maye Leigh Hill by their daughter Jane Hill Head and their four grandchildren, the Hill Garden also acts as an activities area. Since its dedication in 1989, weddings, receptions and parties of all types have been held in this popular area, with its slate, crushed stone and scored concrete paving, bosquets of trees and shrub borders*. The Hill Garden was designed by Edah Grover and Lois Harrison.
Fine appointments grace this garden from end to end. Symmetrical lines of Chaste Trees line the central lawn panel that leads to the Kayser Lily Pool and Cochran Water Wall beyond. The former feature acts as a mirror to the water wall and is planted seasonally with fragrant tropical water lilies and other aquatic plants. It was given by Simmie and Leo Kayser, Jr. The latter punctuates the view from the Belvedere and is the focal point looking north. Sheets of water cascade down the black slate wall and frame a sculpture of great blue herons, Interlude (Gary Price, 1991); lush seasonal plantings dance at their feet. The sculpture was donated by Katherine Ireland and the water wall by the children and grandchildren of George and Margaret Cochran, in their memory.
Below the Belvedere, the focal point looking south is Nike (Winged Victory) (Cordray Parker 1991). A deconstructed contemporary interpretation of the Greek goddess, this striking sculpture was donated by Edgar and Margot Marx and their children, in memory of Simon Kessler, Margot’s father. The focal point looking east is a glass-roofed, century-old Amdega gazebo from England**. Lovingly restored by Robinson Iron of Alexander City, Alabama, this structure links the building lines of the neo-Classical Garden Center with the more modernistic Conservatory. It was given by Mallie and Glenn Ireland, II, in honor of Katherine Ireland. To the west, wrought iron gates designed by the late George Gambrill lead to the Rose Gardens beyond. They were donated by the Naughton and Mauldin families in memory of their parents.
Dunn Formal Rose Garden
Originally designed in 1963, and later modified by Robert Kirk in 1988, this beautiful and popular feature is laid out in a classic cross-axial style. The “formal” designation refers to the garden’s mirror-image symmetry, rather than to a particular type of rose. Take a deep breath and enjoy tea roses, floribundas, grandifloras, climbers, miniatures and shrub types that bloom in glorious colors from late April until frost. Here, old favorites such as ‘Peace’, ‘Chrysler Imperial’, and ‘John F. Kennedy’ mingle with newcomers like ‘All That Jazz’, ‘Dolly Parton’ and ‘Fourth of July’; our bounty of roses has made this spot a mainstay attraction since The Gardens first opened. Given in memory of William R. J. Dunn, Jr., by his family, the collection in this garden consists of over 150 types of hybrid roses. The Dunn Formal Rose Garden is an official All-America Rose Selection Display garden and new introductions are displayed every year; it perennially wins AARS awards for outstanding maintenance.
A clipped green wall of ‘Mary Nell’ holly creates solid enclosure along the north edge of the garden, and elegant structures provide architectural counterpoints. At the center, a delicate metal topiary tempietto, by artist Mario Villa and dedicated to the Dunn grandchildren, arches over the paths and is a favorite spot for weddings. In the southeast corner a small terrace offers an elevated view of the Garden Center and the Blount Plaza, with Jesus Moroles’ Granite Garden (1988), gushing below. A finely-crafted, columned cypress pergola, dedicated to Beverly White Dunn by her family in 1988, defines the western edge of the garden and offers a shaded respite. At either end of the pergola, large urns, given in honor of Jeanne Cunningham by her late husband Emory, billow with lush seasonal offerings. This garden is actively tended by dedicated members of the Birmingham Chapter of the American Rose Society.
A new sculpture, Last Dance, by Gene Adcock (1994), was added in the east quadrant of the south border in 2005. This abstract bronze was donated by Lucy Dunn McLain in memory of her late husband Duncan McLeod and provides a focal point in this area. Plans are underway create another sculpture node in the west quadrant, and to enclose the entire south edge with a clipped hedge. This will add a simple, but important, backdrop for the art, and will enhance the feeling of a large outdoor room. In contrast to the broadleaf evergreen holly hedge on the north border, the new hedge will be deciduous, illustrating the horticultural and aesthetic contrasts between these plant types.
Note: Closed to the public one day per week, normally Tuesdays, for maintenance.
Ireland Old-Fashioned Rose Garden
Fragrant and colorful describes the roses that are featured in this area, which is arranged in three distinct garden rooms. All roses here were in cultivation prior to 1867, when the first hybrid teas roses were introduced in France, and as such are deemed “old-fashioned”. Known for their spring display and interesting histories, the more than 50 types here include China roses, damasks, Gallicas, moss roses, Bourbons, rugosas and more. Designed by Robert Kirk in 1988, the garden was dedicated to Annette Bickford Ireland and given by her family.
The central portion of this garden in entered through a splendid Moon Gate, given by William C. Ireland and Dorothy T. Fletcher (nee Ireland). The Rose Arbor, given by Joy Ray for her parents Earlston and Alberta, and her sister Kathy, dominates this area, and sees dozens of nuptials per year. The two side areas are entered through rose-festooned Twin Arched Gates, given in memory of Bernard S. Steiner by his late wife Dorothy. All of the roses are interplanted with various companion plants selected for texture, fragrance and color. Shrubs in the rose family, including rose of Sharon, kerria, black jetbead and spiraea are planted in the rear of the garden in the dappled shade of towering pines, and offer flowers in early spring, before the roses take over. As summer marches on, waves of foliage and flower color roll through.
Note: Closed to the public one day per week, normally Tuesdays, for maintenance.
Crape Myrtle Garden
A gift from the Keep Birmingham Beautiful Commission of the city of Birmingham, this garden illustrates the important role that crape myrtles can play in landscape design. With their lower limbs removed, large varieties of these tough, urban-tolerant trees provide an intimate and functional canopy in this stone and brick court, providing enclosure and a respite from the heat. The beautiful exfoliating reddish bark of ‘Natchez’ defines the center, and ‘Biloxi’ and ‘Apalachee’, both with smooth, brown and beige bark, the perimeter.
Of course, the summer blooms are a favorite local flower and the crape myrtle has been designated the official tree of Birmingham. Often, flowering begins as early as late June and can last through mid-September and into October, with the peak bloom somewhere in the middle. Look for many more crape myrtles in the Japanese Gardens and throughout The Gardens. Designed by Michael Kirk, the Crape Myrtle Garden was dedicated in 1995. Here you will also find a display of shade-tolerant groundcovers, bulbs, perennials and container plantings to extend the flowering season.
Conservatory
Seen through the Queen’s Gates from BBG’s main entry, the stately Conservatory dominates the open, verdant Formal Garden that lies before it. Designed in 1962 by noted glasshouse designer Dr. Henry E. Teuscher, of Montreal, Canada, ours bears a strong resemblance to his greatest creation at the Montreal Botanical Garden. In 1995, a new entrance was added, given by Arthur Ilges Chenoweth, in honor of Barbara Derr Chenoweth. The central house in the Conservatory is the largest clear span glasshouse in the Southeast and shelters a diverse collection of luxuriant tropical plants and understated displays of seasonal hothouse flowers. Plants of commercial importance, such as banana, vanilla, coffee and cacao (the source of chocolate) are here, as are wondrous tropical species of palms, cycads (including a 100-year old specimen) and tree ferns. The Samford Orchid Display Room*, given in memory of Mrs. Frank P. Samford by her daughter Ann Samford Upchurch and her grandchildren, sits at the rear of the main house. It showcases a small, yet always colorful display of this fascinating family that boasts some of the most unusual flowers in the plant kingdom.
Flanking the main house to the north is the Camellia House. During winter months, hybrid camellias of various classifications sport their bodacious and often vivid flowers in varied hues of pink, red and white. Camellia japonica, the Japanese camellia, is the state flower of Alabama. Opposite, to the south, is the Desert House, a children’s favorite, where many unusual and uniquely adapted plants, such as American agaves, aloes and cacti, Pacific rim plumerias and succulent euphorbias from Africa are displayed. Flowers here never fail to amaze and surprise; they can be seen intermittently through the growing season. Seven production greenhouses and maintenance facilities support the Conservatory, and here volunteers assist our staff in propagation, re-potting, plant grooming and other horticultural tasks. Invaluable for education, the Conservatory helps us communicate the need for worldwide natural resource conservation, especially to the thousands of children each year who attend our Discovery Field Trips.
Enabling Garden
Just east of the Bruno Vegetable Garden is the Enabling Garden, whose numerous features were designed to make gardening a comfortable experience for those with physical disabilities. Like many of our gardens, this one is wheelchair accessible, but it also has raised planting beds and window box-type planters that eliminate the need for bending and stooping. The water-conserving plastic containers are on wheels to eliminate lifting while allowing design flexibility; hanging baskets are attached with pulleys for easy access.
For years, the Enabling Garden has supported our Horticulture Therapy program. Ample scientific evidence shows that this therapy improves manual dexterity and provides excellent low-impact exercise for those suffering from many types of disabling illnesses. In addition, the acts of planting, growing, propagating and nurturing plants provide valuable psychological benefits. Our instructors work with multiple sclerosis patients, among others, to tend the Enabling Garden and to propagate plants here and in the Conservatory. The fruits of their efforts are sold in the Gatehouse Gift Shop, whose proceeds return to The Gardens.
Thompson Enthusiast's Garden
This small space across from the Enabling Garden illustrates how all the essential parts of a garden can be incorporated into a modest area, in this case, one resembling the backyard of a suburban or urban townhouse. The symmetrical design features large ‘Natchez’ Crape Myrtles for canopy, hedges of Yaupon, Ternstroemia and ‘Foster #2’ Holly for enclosure and small herbaceous borders for color. Wooden fences, brick pillars and brick walks add structural elements. Utilitarian features include a compost bin, coldframe and a small toolhouse that are all fully integrated into the overall design.
Designed in 1987 by the team of Mary Carolyn Boothby, Jody Hamre and Carolyn D. Tynes, the Enthusiast Garden was a gift to Lucille Ryals Thompson from her husband Hall and their five children. Initially, espaliered dwarf fruit trees and small vegetable plots took advantage of the ample sun here. With time, surrounding trees and those in the garden have grown and shade has increased; the fruits and vegetables have given way to more appropriate and shade-tolerant annuals, perennials and evergreen groundcovers, illustrating the dynamic nature that is central to all gardens.
Forman Garden
This small-scale garden is full of ideas for the homeowner. It demonstrates the important design principle of bloom sequence, illustrated with small trees, shrubs and perennials; it shows that with careful plant selection many things are possible. The walk is paved and edged with tumbled interlocking concrete pavers, which offer a beautiful and affordable surface that is relatively easy to install for do-it-yourselfers. They are laid without concrete and are available at home improvement stores. Note also how the grading and mounding of the earth enhances the feeling of enclosure.
The Forman Garden was dedicated in 2003, and was given to honor James Forman Jr. by his family. It was designed by Louise “Weesie” Smith and features a palette strong in Alabama native plants. These include serviceberry, silverbell, sourwood, clethra, butterfly weed, catchfly, three species of deciduous azaleas and the uncommon white redbud. Plants from other nativities were also employed and include Japanese plum, pearlbush and several dwarf varieties of boxwood. Seasonal flowers are rotated faithfully and combined skillfully to create blooming interest virtually every day of the year.
Bruno Vegetable Garden
Vegetables have been a part of The Gardens since 1973, but in the late 1980’s what was once a modest display grew to generous proportions, thanks to support from Bruno’s, Inc., an upscale regional supermarket chain. Throughout the year, plantings of both typical and unusual culinary vegetables are grown, tended and harvested: in winter, cool-weather crops such as kale, cabbages, broccoli, and turnip and collard greens can be seen; spring features snow and sweet peas, lettuce, kohlrabi and onions; summer brings ripe tomatoes, peppers, squash and eggplants; and in the fall the okra towers and the pumpkin swells. Vine-shaded pergolas offer visitors a place to relax, and Frank Fleming’s Hare Wearing a Collar, the larger-than-life rabbit sculpture donated by Bill Ireland and Pauline Carroll, amuses children of all ages.
The Bruno Vegetable Garden was designed by Mary Carolyn Boothby, Jody H. Hamre and Carolyn D. Tynes, and illustrates numerous plants, ideas and techniques for the home vegetable gardener. In addition, thousands of local school children who come to The Gardens’ on Discovery Field Trips learn important lessons about where their food comes from. With plantings of cotton, soybeans and peanuts, we introduce them to the groundbreaking work of Dr. George Washington Carver. Our gardening efforts feed the hungry through Magic City Harvest, a local non-profit agency that coordinates food distribution to those in need.
Herb Terrace
On a sunny hillside above the Bruno Vegetable Garden sits the Herb Terrace, lovingly tended by our local Herb Association. The raised and terraced beds overflow with collections of culinary, medicinal, aromatic and cosmetic herbs. This is a garden where visitors are encouraged not to pick – but to “scratch n’ sniff” and experience the scent-sational world of herbs. Herbs are easy to grow in the southeastern climate and this garden features old favorites like rosemary and thyme, as well as exotic fragrances and tastes of faraway cultures and lands. Displays are changed every spring, and late summer offers the broadest of trans-continental experiences, but this garden offers subtle interest through the year.
Although rustic in appearance, this garden is a good example of exactly how herb gardens should be designed. First, the cross-tie planters have been amended with a well-drained soil blend so the roots of the herbs – many of which are from much drier climates – don’t rot in our moist winters. Second, the terraces face due south and are virtually shade-free, maximizing the amount of light on the plants. Third, the garden has good “air drainage”; breezes freely move up, down and across it, drying foliage and lessening the chances of fungal problems. Lastly, a relaxing seating area on the uppermost brick terrace takes in the view.
Hess Camellia Garden
Camellias are plants that are the envy of cold-climate gardeners and we have an excellent collection of these bold broadleaf evergreens on this lightly shaded hillside. Asian members of the tea family, camellias have become synonymous with the Lower South. Locally popular – and justifiably so – is Camellia japonica, the Japanese camellia, which blooms in many variations of pink, white and red during late winter and early spring. It is the state flower of Alabama, and kicks off the flowering season with gusto and pomp. Camellia sinensis, whose leaves are the commercial source of tea, sports its interesting, fragrant white flowers in late summer and fall. Camellia sasanqua, the sansanqua camellia, and its hybrids, flower profusely in the fall and early winter in shades of red, pink and white. Recent additions to this area include rare Camellia species, distinct varieties of tea, and summer-flowering camellia relatives, the stewartias.
The oldest camellias here date from the late 1960s and it was around these that Carolyn D. Tynes designed the present layout in 1987. The garden is dedicated to Nettie Hess and was given by her family and friends. A gently sloping brick promenade with broad stairs at its feet leads to the centerpiece of the garden, a sunken circular terrace of brick with a gently splashing fountain and pool in the center. This is the Ralph and Ruby Davidson Camellia Fountain. Verdant seasonal plantings encircle the pool and elegant wrought iron benches, each adorned with a unique stylized camellia blossom, complete the restful mood. The accommodating layout and serenity of this spot makes it very popular for intimate weddings.
The Turlington Camellia Solar House, given to honor Dr. Lee F. Turlington, the Birmingham Botanical Society’s first president, also graces this garden. Designed by Louis Joyner, it illustrates how passive solar energy principles can be employed in a small propagation house. The Olivia Turlington Miller Sasanqua Circle provides another seating opportunity amidst the fall blooms; it was given by her family and friends. Both of these features* were dedicated in 1987.
Kaul Wildflower Garden
This nationally renowned, seven-acre naturalistic rock garden began in 1966 through the efforts of volunteers Barbara Orr (Bobbe) Kaul, Louise (Weesie) Smith, Margaret Wimberly and Sue Kinner. They retained noted Swiss landscape architect Zenon Schreiber, to transform a severely eroded stream corridor and a stone quarry dating from the Works Progress Administration of the 1930s, into a marvel of natural harmony and beauty. His skillful Arts and Crafts period-inspired style is seen most vividly along the watercourse, where his stylized walls integrate with the native bedrock, and in how the winding, stone-lined paths blend seamlessly with the site’s challenging and varied topography.
This garden celebrates the incredible diversity of our native Alabama woodland flora, and vignettes ranging from the sublime to the stunning unfold at each turn. From late winter through mid-summer, the natural palette of over 400 trees, shrubs, vines and perennial and annual wildflowers literally changes every day as layer upon layer of emerging growth builds from the ground up; unfolding leaves, flowers and seeds paint a colorful and textural pageant. On a given day during this time, visitors can see a beautiful matrix of woodland perennials on the forest floor: rue anemone, bloodroot, yellowroot, trout lily, Atamasco lily, shooting star, golden star, May apple, toothwort, liverwort, bellwort, Solomon’s seal, and galax grow with abandon. They are joined by multiple species of ginger and trillium and the rich diversity of our native flowering shrubs including anise-tree, fothergilla, mountain laurel, oakleaf hydrangea, leucothoe, sweetshrub. Of particular note are the numerous mature specimens of deciduous native azaleas, with their bright and often fragrant flowers.
Summer and fall wildflowers, among them false sunflower, black-eyed susan, coneflower, cardinal flower and great lobelia, continue the show until the bright hues of autumn carry the day. A winter stroll reveals a stark and quiet contrast to the rich bounty of the previous seasons. At this time, the woodland takes on a meditative quality, having been reduced to the bare essentials of stems and trunks, in their cloaks of subtle and tawny oranges, browns and grays. Broadleaf evergreen leaves, from tiny and shiny to large and somber, provide distinct counterpoints. The Kaul Wildflower Garden was dedicated in 1986 and volunteers continue to add new species each year.
Fern Glade
This cool, shaded hillside is home to one of our most extensive and important living collections. Hardy ferns from North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa and all across Asia grow very happily in our climate. Some species are displayed in broad sweeps, others in richly textured compositions with woodland shrubs and perennials. Others are arranged by genus in a synoptic garden that features Alabama native ferns in one section. BBG’s collection illustrates the broad diversity of this interesting plant group in which sizes vary from miniature to head-high, and growth habits range from clumping, arching evergreen species to running and scrambling deciduous types. Every imaginable shade and hue of green can be seen in living color and the uncoiling new fronds, called fiddleheads, often appear to be clothed in rich suede and cinnamon.
Concrete paths winding through The Fern Glade have been imprinted with fern fronds and other leaves to create “instant fossils” that children of all ages enjoy. The garden is bisected by a tumbling stream that begins high above and drops down over shelves of exposed bedrock. Here, a boardwalk provides panoramic views and adds a tree-level perspective to the scene. The stream continues down through the garden and ends in a quietly splashing pool and sitting area near the entrance. Originally designed by landscape architect Charles Greiner, this area has been enhanced through the years by other designers, including Jeff Sexton, under the guidance of the dedicated members of the Birmingham Fern Society. Ginny Lusk and Dr. Dan Jones are but two of the tireless volunteers that have brought us national recognition by getting our Fern Glade designated as an official test site by the Hardy Fern Foundation. There are only 10 such designations in the United States.
Curry Rhododendron Garden
This 3.5-acre garden features the broad diversity of hybrid rhododendrons and azaleas in all its glory. From late March to late May, blooms from white and cream to red and pink, and from purple and magenta to yellow and orange burst forth in this hillside area. Here, Exbury Azaleas, hybrids of native deciduous Azaleas, evergreen Kurume azaleas, bold Southern Indica azaleas and hybrid rhododendrons can all be seen. As an added attraction, this area also features the recently-developed Encore® series of hybrid azaleas. Developed by Alabama-based Plant Development Services, Inc., these vigorous and colorful plants bloom in spring, follow with a modest repeat performance in mid-summer and, again, strongly, in the fall. A new collection of Alabama-bred Aromi azaleas, developed over decades by the late Dr. Eugene Aromi, is being brought together with the help of Maarten van der Geissen of Dothan, AL.
The garden was originally designed by Irvin T. Nelson and built in 1972 under the direction of the Rhododendron Society. In 1975 Clare Curry’s leadership resulted in the planting of over 2,500 rhododendrons, azaleas and companion plants. A natural hollow was transformed by nurseryman C. Beatty Hanna into the Curry Pool, a rocky waterfall and pond, where carnivorous Pitcher Plants are grown alongside. In 1991, a disastrous straight-line wind hit this area and knocked over scores of mature trees, eliminating much of the shade needed by the plants beneath. The intervening years have seen recovery of this important collection, and improvements continue to be made with drainage work and new plant installations.
Little Ones' Memory Garden
Uphill to the west of the Curry Rhododendron Garden lays the Little Ones’ Memory Garden, which was dedicated in October 2005. This is a unique, meditative garden, where the elements of gardens and of nature come together to help heal the grief caused by the loss of a loved one, such as a child. Led by Virginia Millet, the Little Ones’ Memory Garden Committee oversaw fund raising and garden development. This group is composed of dedicated volunteers, including a number of peri- and neo-natal nurses representing area hospitals, as well as parents.
Designed by Richard Hartlage of DietzHartlage Associates of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, the garden functions as a gathering space for groups from one to two hundred. Five “memory walls” provide seating options and define “rain gardens” behind each one. During periods of high precipitation, water collects in these areas, rather than quickly running off into storm drains; plants that prefer moister sites thrive in these created microclimates. Plantings encircle the central lawn area and will mature to complete an enclosed space. To more strongly relate to adjacent gardens, ferns and rhododendrons are featured in the plantings, which also include trees, flowering shrubs and other herbaceous perennials. This garden was funded by numerous private donors and Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Abroms Rhododendron Species Garden
The botanical genus Rhododendron contains hundreds of species of plants that are commonly known as rhododendrons and azaleas. This familiar genus is broadly distributed in temperate regions all across the northern hemisphere. The diversity of naturally occurring species (and their proclivity to interbreed) has led to the development of a plethora of hybrid types well known to, and well loved by, the average gardener. What is not well known is that many species revel in our southeastern heat and humidity, and we grow them here. Broadleaf evergreen species of rhododendrons from the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of China include the fragrant R. fortuneii and the tough, yet beautiful R. hyperythrum. Evergreen azaleas from Taiwan include the fall-blooming R. oldhamii, parent of the recently-introduced, repeat-blooming Encore® and Bloom-N-Again® brand azaleas. Deciduous azaleas, mostly from North America, include R. serratum that sports jasmine-scented flowers in mid-summer.
This garden was formally dedicated in 1991 by Harold and Judy Abroms in honor of their grandchildren; it was designed by Norman Kent Johnson. A hidden gem, it is often overlooked by the casual visitor but is a favorite quiet spot to the initiated who might enjoy reading a book under the rustic swing arbor, dedicated to Andy Abroms, or in the similarly-styled gazebo. For the true plant lover, it is a garden where plant surprises await discovery and some of the most uncommon plants in our collection can be found and admired. Some, such as Acer davidii, David’s maple, with its green-striped bark have graced the garden for years, but many new plants have been added in the past two years. The evergreen rhododendrons in this garden are in peak bloom in late May, however, other species and deciduous azaleas flower before and after the main show.
Note: The water feature bordering this garden is currently inoperative but is scheduled for complete renovation in 2008.
Jemison Lily Garden
Defined by tall oaks and pines, and characterized by sweeping walls and stairs of native stone, the Jemison Lily Garden contains planting areas ranging in exposure from full sun to dense shade. Designed by Jay Starbuck, the garden was dedicated to the memory of Margaret P. Jemison in1986, and was given by her son John S. Jemison. Traditionally, the lily family was large and diverse, and contained many familiar and little-known plants; currently it is undergoing significant taxonomic revision. Our garden embraces the older designations and a less rigid approach, including a number of plants that are called “lily” but are not “true” lilies at all.
Daylilies are the backbone of this garden; in their myriad of hues and flower forms, they create a kaleidoscope of color in June and July in the lower, sunnier portions of the garden. Award-winners, Alabama introductions and new introductions are prominently featured and are blended with hardy asparagus, Asiatic lilies, angel lilies, yuccas, rain lilies and canna lilies. At the top of the garden is the Walter Lily Overlook, a shaded and secluded brick seating terrace dedicated to Charles and Arline Walter. In this area, visitors can see lilies-of-the-valley, toad lilies, pineapple lilies, magic lilies, a full range of Solomon’s seals and selected plantain lilies, which are also known as hostas. Here also are voodoo lilies, bizarre plants that produce spring flowers of a most unusual fragrance/odor, perfect for attracting the right pollinators, those that are attracted to rotting animal carcasses.
Hosta Walk
Located along a crushed stone path just above the Ireland Iris Garden, the Hosta Walk offers visitors a compact look at this popular group of well-known perennials. Old-fashioned varieties such as the late summer-blooming and fragrant ‘Royal Standard’ can be found here, as well as newer hybrids from across the globe. Come and find your favorites among the 100-plus varieties with leaves of yellow, chartreuse, blue and green (many of which are boldly variegated), textures ranging from glossy to seersucker, and sizes from the tiny 6” ‘Popo’, to the extreme, 4’ wide ‘Sum & Substance'.
Tough, reliable, shade-tolerant, long-lived and relatively pest-free perennials are not easy to come by, and Hostas fit this bill in every way. In the coming years, our Hosta collection will be expanded into the adjacent wooded area, where large drifts will be interspersed with shade-loving shrubs. Members of the large and diverse lily family, hostas will be used to offer a literal connection to the nearby Jemison Lily Garden. Our Hosta Walk was developed and is maintained with the generous assistance of the Birmingham Hosta Society.
Ireland Iris Garden
Framed by stately evergreen southern magnolias, twin gazebos and sturdy stone garden walls, the Ireland Iris Garden features four terraced borders where a variety of iris species, hybrids (including bearded and Dutch types), and related plants in the iris family are grown. This garden peaks in May and June, but a diverse assortment of choice flowering shrubs, grasses, perennials and annuals complements the irids, as the iris family is known, and extends ornamental interest into the late summer and fall. Designed by Norman Kent Johnson and John Tate, this garden was given by Bill and Fay Ireland and was dedicated in 1986.
From a quiet bench above, the main view leads across the first terrace, down a weathered stone staircase and to a central reflecting pool that commands a small lawn space below. A gracious stone walk encircles the lawn, allows close-up viewing of the opposing borders and links the twin gazebos. The North Gazebo was given by Dorothy L. Renneker in memory of Sam B. and John H. Renneker. The South Gazebo, was given by the James C. Lee, Jr. family and Elizabeth L. Frommeyer in memory of James C. and Elizabeth T. Lee. It is flanked by two rock gardens, where curious iris relatives from the southern hemisphere are grown, along with selected succulents, bulbs and dwarf perennials suitable for southern rock gardens.
The Sunset Border sits across the main road from the Ireland Iris Garden, outside the garden wall. Installed in 2002, it is a contemporary version of a classic mixed border containing shrubs, grasses, perennials, bulbs and annuals. Although the colors in the border are varied, many plants feature flowers, foliage and fruit in a changing array of chartreuse, orange and yellow.
Southern Living Garden
Established in 1977, the only public garden that showcases Southern Living – the largest regional magazine in America – is divided into several outdoor rooms that offer countless ideas for homeowners. In one area, a flagstone terrace and seat wall offer a peaceful retreat near a serene pool where the beautiful Echo, (James Barnhill, 1992) admires her reflection. This lifelike and graceful bronze was given in honor of Emory Cunningham upon his retirement from Time, Inc. Nearby, a vast planting of Helleborus orientalis, Lenten Rose, under Cornus mas, Cornelian Cherry Dogwood, dramatically kicks off the bloom season in late winter.
Just across an adjacent path, the Southern Living Flower Border, recently re-designed by Mary Zahl in 2002, features vivid season-long color provided by perennials, annuals and foliage plants along a curved stone wall. Genesis (Chris Ramsey, 2000), dedicated in honor of former Southern Living editor Gary McCalla in 2001, adds a contemporary sculptural note as it gracefully emerges from the luxuriant plantings that peak in late summer and early fall. Opposite, the cleverly designed wall provides a backdrop for a shrub border featuring the Southern Living Plant Collection from Monrovia Nurseries. Designed by Norman Johnson in 2001, this area also features a secluded lawn area in front that is a favorite place for sun lovers.
At the back of the garden, the Emory Cunningham Native Azalea Walk, also designed by Norman Johnson, was dedicated to that distinguished president of the Southern Progress Corporation in 2001. Here, large specimens of hybrid and Alabama native azalea species, such as Alabama Azalea, Piedmont Azalea, and Florida Flame Azalea, add their stunning colors and intoxicating fragrances to the spring experience. The larger plants were given by The Gardens at Callaway, also to honor Mr. Cunningham. Other unusual native plantings, including Dwarf Fothergilla and the rare Loblolly Bay complete the scene and frame a circular stone pool and fountain. A stylish slate-roofed gazebo provides seating nearby and offers views to the lush surroundings. The Southern Living Garden is maintained by the Southern Progress corporation, and is photographed extensively for use in their numerous and popular publications.
Lawlor Gates
The Lawler Gates are located between the McReynolds’ Garden to the south and the Southern Living Garden to the north. These intricately worked, French-inspired decorative iron gates were designed by South Carolina’s Jim Cooper and forged at the Lawler Machine and Foundry Company in Birmingham. Fittingly, they were given to The Gardens in 1987 by Stanley and Sandra Goode Lawler, and dedicated to the memory of their fathers, Edward Goode and Delmas Lawler, the latter having started the foundry in 1933. The Lawler Gates lead out onto Cahaba Road and are opened for special events only.
McReynold's Garden
Beth McReynolds was the doyenne of Birmingham floral designers and the arbiter of a style she helped to define and popularize. Blending English and Japanese elements with popular plants of the south, she nurtured countless pupils and her style still has many dedicated followers. Designed by the late George Gambrill and dedicated in 1981, the original McReynolds Garden was dismantled to make way for construction of the Blount Education Wing of the Garden Center in 1998. Shortly thereafter, it was relocated to its current location, a wooded area just south of the Southern Living Garden, and rededicated to her memory in May 2005.
Jody Hamre and Dexter Hambaugh designed the new McReynolds Garden, which again prominently features the plants she used in her arrangements. Many visitors will recognize the fragrant Florida Leucothoe, variegated Japanese Aucuba, Sasanqua Camellia, evergreen Azaleas and French hybrid Hydrangeas. Unusual plants, too, found their way into her creations and into her garden, and here you’ll also see Chinese Fringeflower, Stewartia, Fatsia and Japanese Holly Fern. The plants are set out in mixed drifts along a gently curved Bessemer gray brick walk. A small stone terrace incorporates a reflecting pool with antique statuary, adding an architectural note to the wonderfully human-scaled and naturalistic space. Funding for this project was provided by Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Just outside the garden’s entrance sit the finely crafted, wrought iron Lawler Gates, designed by Jim Cooper and given in 1987 by Stanley D. and Sandra Goode Lawler in memory of their fathers.
Barber Alabama Woodlands
This six-acre remnant forest contains the botanical gardens’ oldest native trees, which can be easily seen from the wood-chipped trails that wind through. Dedicated to Julia W. Barber in 1993 and given by her family, the woodland features a self-guided interpretive trail that explores topics in Alabama woodland ecology. Through docent-led Discovery Field Trips here, thousands of school children each year learn about our state’s unique natural assets and the need for their local and regional conservation. The Barber Woodlands’ importance as an environmental education resource has grown strongly under the guidance of volunteer Beverly (Becky) Smith.
The Barber Alabama Woodlands contains three distinct habitat zones. The stylized entrance is planted with a variety of plants that favor woodland edges and leads into the relatively dry upland zone. The wet bottomlands contain a swamp crossed by an observation boardwalk constructed of recycled plastics. An intermediate sloping area links the other two zones, each of which has a subtly distinct floral component. This area is an excellent example of the oak-hickory-pine forest that once dominated this state, but as a small, urbanized forest remnant it requires active management. Typical activities here include invasive exotic plant control, trail maintenance, culling undesirable and/or diseased native plants, and the introduction of masses of native shrubs and perennials, and groves of native trees. Many of these plantings are part of a new collection of plant analogues: native plants are planted in this area, and analogous plants from Asia and Europe are planted across the main access road.
Rushton Garden
Originally a European-style garden in front of the Garden Center, designed in 1987 by noted landscape architect Robert Zion, and given by Colonel William James Rushton in memory of Elizabeth Perry Rushton. In 1999, the addition of the Blount Education Wing to the Garden Center necessitated its relocation and a style change. Funded by Billy and LaVona Rushton, the new Rushton Garden saw the late Mr. Zion return to conceive one of his last creations. Here he crafted a beautiful garden that weaves together naturalistic plantings and water features with a crushed stone courtyard and curving stone walls, producing a lush, secluded and casual retreat.
The Rushton Garden provides beautiful and serene views from the Botanical Gardens Library and, located just outside that lobby, makes a great place for reading as the rushing sounds of the cascading waters drown out the surroundings. The gravel courtyard with its café seating is shaded by Dura-Heat® River Birches, and the finely-crafted, adjacent stone wall doubles as a more informal bench. The Rushton Garden is a beautiful setting for small outdoor events and may be reserved as part of the Hodges Room in the Garden Center.
Hulsey Woods
Given by the late William Hansell Hulsey in honor of his wife Susan, the nearby Hulsey Woods sets a quiet sylvan tone, and provides understated entrances to the adjacent Japanese Gardens. Originally conceived as an Asian woodland by the donor, the primary canopy is composed of tall, native oak, hickory and loblolly pine. However, new plantings, begun in the mid-1980s, and continued in earnest in 2004, feature natives of China, Japan and temperate regions of southeastern Asia. Recent efforts to expand our collection of Japanese maple cultivars and tea olives were concentrated here. This area also features sasanqua camellias, and a number of rare and unusual trees and shrubs.
In February 2005, the initial phase of a new path system and a central gathering space were dedicated as part of the centennial celebration of Rotary International. For this, each Rotary club was challenged to create a project that would benefit their community; funding assistance and hands-on participation were parts of the challenge as well. Under the leadership of members Michael Gross and Ty Robin, Shades Valley Rotary Club, who meet each Monday for lunch in our Garden Center, selected the Hulsey Woods as the location for their Centennial Project. Rotary Clubs from Birmingham, Shades Mountain-Sunrise, and Vestavia Hills, Alabama, and the Osaka Central club from Osaka, Japan, partnered with Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the city of Birmingham, Rotary International District 6860, Rotaract Club of Birmingham, Homewood High School Interact Club, and Boy Scout Troop 96 to complete the work. A traditional Japanese belfry and Friendship Bell are now part of the Hulsey Woods.
Asian Glade
The Asian Glade lies just north of the Japanese Gardens and features selected species, cultivars and hybrids of plants from Asia in a lightly-shaded setting with broad wood-chipped paths. A number of these plants have close relatives native to the southeastern US, many of which can be found just across the access road in the Barber Alabama Woodlands. Some little-known plants can be found here, including specimens of Bambusa species – bamboos that clump rather than run – as well as a growing collection of Paeonia suffruticosa, the tree peony, which is the national flower of the People’s Republic of China. On the south edge of this garden, a former drainage ditch has been transformed into a boulder-filled naturalistic watercourse that accommodates stormwater runoff, yet is attractive when dry. A beautiful sweeping path of Alabama bluestone provides access to restroom facilities. The Gardens staff designed this area and Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens provided funding.
Japanese Garden
Officially opened by the Japanese Ambassador to the United States in 1967, this 7.5-acre site is actually an interwoven collection of gardens built in the Japanese style, replete with traditional architectural and garden elements. Here you can find the tea garden, the karesansui garden with its meditative compositions of boulders set amidst a bed of raked gravel, the hill and stream garden* with features such as the Seven Virtues Waterfall, and the small stroll garden set around Long Life Lake. Casual visitors will want to study the colorful koi, relax in the lakeside rest shelter, peruse the bonsai house** or take a class at the pavilion. Plant lovers will enjoy exploring bamboo groves†, examining our growing collection of momiji – the Japanese maples – and seeing prehistoric dawn redwoods.
Designed by Mr. Masaji “Buffy” Morai, the Japanese Gardens officially opened in 1967 and have been one of BBG’s most popular features since then. Largely through the hard work and guidance of volunteer Doug Moore, major modifications to a large part of the gardens were finalized in 1993 when the Japanese government gave it the title of Japanese Cultural Center. That important designation was made because Mr. Kazunori Tago, of Maibashi, Japan, one of the finest miyadaiku, or Japanese temple and shrine builders, created a traditional tea house here. Toshinan, whose name means, “the house where those gathered can light a wick [of understanding] in each other’s hearts”, is a 16th-century Sukiya-style tea house, made completely from materials brought from Japan and built using only traditional tools and techniques. There are fewer than a dozen such structures in the United States, and none are finer than Toshinan††. An adjacent yoritsuki, or waiting hut, was also designed and built by Tago-san, completing the tea garden structures. Materials were donated by the citizens of Maibashi and additional funding was provided by the Shades Valley Council of Garden Clubs and Gardens of Inverness; the yoritsuki was dedicated in honor of Eva Woodin Gambrell. Members of the Japanese Garden Society of Alabama assist with maintenance of the tea house and in cultural and educational programming.
The Japanese Gardens are entered through a spectacular curved-top torii, or “gate to heaven”, painted a traditional bright red. This area was renovated and the master plan updated in 1988 through funds given by the Drummond Company in memory of Elza Stewart Drummond. Down the path from the torii, a tile-capped mud wall is punctuated by the entrance to the Cultural Center: the Taylor Gate, given by Dr. Wendell Taylor, with its heavy, yet intricately joined, wooden timbers. Across the stream from the tea house sits the Japanese Cultural Pavilion, which is based on the design of a rural Japanese theater. Three sides of the pavilion are removable, facilitating seasonal open air activities like classes such as sushi-making, performances such as martial arts demonstrations, and many other aspects of Japanese culture.
A recent update of the master plan for the Japanese Gardens was completed by Zen Associates of Sudbury, Massachusetts. The firm’s principal landscape architects, Shinichiro Abe and Peter White, have an intimate knowledge of Japanese garden design and construction, and as their company’s name suggests, it is their sole specialty.
* This feature is currently non-operational.
** Please do not touch the trees. This area is monitored for security purposes.
† Closed during April and May to allow new growth.
†† Please enjoy at a distance. This area is monitored for security purposes.
