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By Cory Sparks
Director of Development
Last week, Barbara Smith, our Display Horticulture Gardener, and I were walking into the Admissions Building when she pointed to the bed of tulips in front. “I saw this design with daisies when I was traveling in England. There was a beautiful bed in Chelsea that was planted like this.” Staring at the bed for a moment, she said, “You may have been wondering about the yellow tulips in all of this pink. They were a surprise! Not the color I was expecting.”
As we were talking, some visitors from Michigan walked past, and we explained a bit about the planting. The story reminded one of the women of her tulip tour of the Netherlands when she went to the famed Keukenhof garden. Within seconds, we had connected gardens in three countries and two states, giving me a deeper understanding of the beauty I get to experience each workday at Bellingrath.
A tour of English gardens inspired the Bellingraths to create these Gardens. Barbara, Jeremy Schmidt, our Director of Horticulture, and our other gardeners continue to search the globe for designs and plants that might add to the beauty of the grounds. Sometimes, the plants are Alabama-grown. In his column for this issue, Todd Lasseigne talks about a trip he and members of our horticulture staff recently took to collect homegrown trillium to plant at Bellingrath.
Our gardens serve as a living, ever-evolving memorial to Mrs. Bellingrath, and they’re world-class, as shown by being named one of twelve ‘Gardens of the World Worth Travelling For in 2024’. We’re eager to share the gardens and our love of gardening with our members and the public. As part of this work, we’re exploring the idea of launching garden tours – opportunities to learn about our plants and the design and planting process. I’m confident Mr. and Mrs. Bellingrath would enjoy the tour. Would you? Let me know!
Visit and Connect with Us
- Check out our upcoming Spring Plant Sale to awaken your garden!
- Share your thoughts on this new venture with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter using the hashtag #BellingrathGardens.