Bellingrath Gardens & Home is a historic estate and gardens, opened to the public since the spring of 1932. It is also a beloved cultural attraction and community asset for Mobile and the Greater Gulf Coast region and a nationally renowned and internationally recognized destination. For a select number of people, however, BGH is a nonprofit organization that serves as their place of work that provides for their livelihoods and professional careers. To our visitors, much of the “behind the scenes” operational aspects of BGH are unknown.

In late July, leadership staff at Bellingrath took a major step forward in envisioning the future of the “workplace” aspect of the organization – the “back-of-shop” spaces that allow much of the magic that our visitors and guests enjoy to come into fruition. The structures that comprise this space, unfortunately, are showing their age and need to be rebuilt. Working with Tres Fromme (3.fromme Design), Steven Lee Johnson (Sitework Studios), Ben Cummings (Cummings Architecture), and Jim Shepherd (Orion Engineers), we embarked on a process to design a new facility that will house BGH’s Maintenance, Horticulture, and Lighting Events departments. This project was able to proceed thanks to support of our many donors to 2026’s “Laying the Groundwork for the Centennial Master Plan” fundraising campaign.

Taking an assortment of facilities dating from the 1940s to the 2000s forward into a conceptual plan that will guide future architecture, engineering, and ultimately construction is no easy task. Through Tres’ leadership, however, we have now created the initial framework for this future space – one that will see transformative improvements to workflow, efficiency, productivity, and interdepartmental collaboration. Yes, back-of-shop facilities aren’t something that generally gets visitors and donors excited, but as I had to do previously both in Oklahoma and North Carolina at prior public garden workplaces, developing modern facilities is crucial to our future and continuance as a leading Gulf Coast nonprofit organization!

Per the image at the top of this article, you can see a 2026 Google Earth view of the current set of buildings – metal pole barns, plastic and glass greenhouses, etc. – that comprise our back-of-shop spaces. The second image, shown below, shows a prioritized condition rating of all of these existing facilities, with red dots meaning the facilities are in greatest need of replacement while green-dotted ones are physically in a reasonable state of use and condition.

We are excited to be embarking on this planning process, and we again thank the foundations that supported the “Laying the Groundwork for the Centennial Master Plan” capital campaign. Thus far, for instance, we are proud to say that $38,000 has been invested in electrical infrastructure improvements at BGH—upgrades that follow the electrical infrastructure master plan we completed in the spring to early summer. We likewise feel that the forthcoming plans will lead to exciting opportunities for you to continue to support Bellingrath’s positive momentum, and we feel strongly that your support through major donations will help us realize the goals and dreams of this planning process!

Thank you so much for your support this summer in renovating the River Pavilion. We’ve replaced the badly deteriorated roof with a new metal one, added simple safety rails, and repaired damage to the deck from Tropical Storm Bertha. This project is important as we reactivate our riverfront.

In the few weeks since the pavilion was completed, we’ve put it to work. Our NatureNauts STEM education team has returned to using the real-time water monitoring station to teach school field trips about the constantly changing tidal Fowl River. The Pavilion has also returned to use as a dock. On NatureNauts STEM Day, our partners at Historic Blakely State Park took participants for rides down the Fowl River. In addition, our partners at the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program docked at the Pavilion to pick up volunteers to plant marsh grasses on the Bellingrath Spit to stabilize it for decades to come. Finally, we’ve hosted a delegation of EPA officials on a tour of the restoration work and will welcome more dignitaries in November.

Alongside the recently repaired Boardwalk, the Pavilion offers visitors of all ages a way to connect with the river and better understand the natural beauty that drew Mr. and Mrs. Bellingrath here. Next time you’re in the Gardens, make sure to visit the Pavilion. You’ll also notice recent plantings by our horticulture team, including more rare agave as we expand that collection. This progress is possible because of you and your generosity. Thank you.

At the December meeting Walter Bellingrath gave a personal check for $14,000 to the Foundation to allow a distribution to be made to the Gardens and other beneficiaries. That sum would equate to just under $170,000 today.

It was also announced that Mobile’s Lerio Corporation would fabricate a ticket booth for the Garden entrance. Mr. Bellingrath was part owner of that firm which was founded to produce pumps and equipment used in the collection of turpentine. During the 1920’s they began producing metal bodies for Coca-Cola delivery trucks as well

1954

It was announced that Mr. Albert A. Hunt had retired as “Acting Manger and Landscape Engineer.” He was retained as “consulting engineer” to assist Martin D. Green who replaced him.

Mr. Bellingrath personally donated $7,500 (approximately $95,000 today) for pipe replacements and the installation of fencing. Mr. Bellingrath said “our piping system has become inadequate” while voicing his concern over “trespassers and fire dangers from arson.”

At the meeting Mr. Bellingrath also stated that there would be no distributions of funds to beneficiaries that year.

1955

At the March 17 meeting George E. Downing and George W. Burney were named trustees. George Downing was Sales Manger for Coca Cola while Mr. Burney was the company’s secretary/treasurer. This would be the last meeting attended by Walter Bellingrath.

At the May 31 meeting Mr. Bellingrath’s absence was noted but he sent a letter cancelling his earlier donation for fence and water improvements, directing that sum be given over to the general funds.

The next called meeting would follow our founder’s death in August.

Almost everyone today knows them inside and out (literally, if you’ve ever made a jack-o’-lantern), but like many of the garden-variety vegetables available in grocery stores around the world today, the humble pumpkin has a surprisingly interesting history.

                Pumpkins are in the family Cucurbitaceae – a real mouthful, it’s pronounced “cue-curb-i-tay-see” – along with other famous fruits like melons and cucumbers. That’s the first secret this unassuming orange enigma conceals: botanically-speaking, pumpkins, and all squashes, are fruits. A fruit is always the result of a pollinated flower, and all natural fruits produce seeds. What constitutes a vegetable is really a matter of culinary debate, but typically they’re roots and shoots – carrots and broccoli, for example – but anything with seeds is technically a fruit.

                As if that revelation wasn’t shocking enough, pumpkins are also pretenders of another order altogether: they’re not even a real species. Pumpkins as we know and love them are just one variety of Curcubita pepo – but so are zucchinis, yellow crookneck squash, and pattypan squash, just to name a few. They’re all the same species! Human ingenuity is responsible for diversifying them over thousands of years into “endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful,” to quote Charles Darwin, who researched pumpkins extensively for his book The Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants. This domestication process is responsible for almost all recognizable produce today, from pineapples to watermelons to cabbages, similar to how all breeds of dog were domesticated from ancient wolves.

Even more upsetting for all you pumpkin-heads will be the knowledge that some of our most cherished heirloom pumpkin varieties, commonly used these days for decorating front porches in pleasing autumnal shades anywhere from pale orange to green and blue, aren’t even “pumpkins” but a different species altogether (Cucurbita maxima). So, some things we call pumpkins aren’t and some things we don’t call pumpkins actually are. What a world!

                There’s even controversy about where pumpkins really come from. Botanists have been in heated debate about their origins since at least 1857, with some insisting that pumpkins are descendants of the wild Cucurbita texana while others staunchly maintain that our beloved Cucurbita pepo came first and that C. texana is really just an imposter that escaped cultivation thousands of years ago. Don’t even get me started on Cucurbita fraterna, the third contender for the title of original pumpkin! While we may never know the truth, one study from 2003 (Assessment of Genetic Relationships in Cucurbita pepo (Cucurbitaceae) Using DNA Markers) concluded that all three species are just subspecies of C. pepo, and most of us are content to just leave it at that.

                Naturally, pumpkins have been grown and carefully selected for taste and nutrition by Native Americans for millennia. The oldest verified archaeological evidence dates to around 10,000 years ago in Northern Mexico, though it’s very likely that their culinary history goes back even further. They’re one of the most well-traveled crops in America, having been carried and cultivated all over the continent since time immemorial. There are some good reasons they’ve stood the test of time: they’re pretty, they’re tasty, they’re adaptable, and they travel well. So, as you carve one with a spooky grin, munch some roasted seeds, or enjoy a slice of pie (or a pumpkin spice latte) this season, think back on all the mysteries hiding behind its glowing orange exterior and give thanks to the humble pumpkin.

Hello, everyone! As of this writing, I have just passed my sixth anniversary with Bellingrath Gardens & Home. This is a milestone that I am happy to have reached, but one that seems to have come so suddenly. Yes, time does fly by – even in a lovely garden!

Over the past several months, we have continued our work on multiple projects – as always – and have also started several new ones. Three of the high level ones deserve mention here. All three of these projects are supported by our successful “Laying the Groundwork for the Centennial Master Plan” capital campaign that we conducted over the past year. We thank all donors who made this campaign a whopping success!

1. Electrical Infrastructure – You probably never would think that a bona-fide Horticulturist could write, excitedly, again and again (and again) about electrical infrastructure. Right?! Well, as we said back when I lived in Tulsa, “this isn’t my first rodeo.” Both when I worked at the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden in North Carolina, and then later at Tulsa Botanic Garden, we had to build out the electrical grid, including the main service line. As such, coming to Bellingrath six years ago led me, almost as if it was my fate, to begin the process of addressing deficiencies in our electrical grid here at BGH. With the work we completed earlier this summer with Hargrove Engineers and Constructors on designing a new electrical infrastructure master plan, we’re now identifying the proverbial “next steps” to take to start building out the new grid. While this high-level work is proceeding, Harold Fischer’s Maintenance Department has been rebuilding essential components of our current grid. We’ve found several puzzling issues with the existing infrastructure, such as non-standardization of breaker panel boxes (we literally utilize three different brands of these, instead of picking one). We’ve also begun the process of purchasing and installing heavy-duty electrical components from electrical supply companies instead of the lower grade materials we formerly procured from box stores. We’ve literally replaced GFCI outlets throughout the gardens with new, commercial grade ones, for instance. Ultimately, we want you, our visitors and supporters, only to notice that the lights are on and that systems are functioning. But, we know that BGH must always be vigilant in maintaining and modernizing our electrical systems and infrastructure, which we are now doing.

2. The Security Building – Most people don’t really notice the historic, ancillary structure that we refer to as the Security Building, a wooden service building painted dark green with tan trim that is located to the north of the Café. Despite its inconspicuousness, this building originally served as one of the ticket points for visitors to enter Bellingrath Gardens & Home. Over the past several decades, it has existed as a general purpose storage building with an office for our Security Guards. With support from the Laying the Groundwork capital campaign, we recently hired Dakin Street Architects (Mobile, AL) to redesign this building so that it could be converted into office space that is greatly needed due to our growth over the past six years. To our pleasant surprise, we will be able to fit six offices into the building, plus a small conference room, and also restroom facilities. With architectural work now complete, we are now determining how best to proceed in rehabilitating this building in coming years.

3. A Future New Maintenance and Horticulture Complex – Just as with the Security Building, we expect that only a very few visitors realize the magnitude of structures that we have in our non-public areas at BGH. Y’see, operating a public garden and historic home requires a multi-faceted staff team – Maintenance, Horticulture, and Lighting Events, for instance. The Horticulture department alone has Greenhouse/Nursery, Display, Landscape/Turf/Irrigation, and Design units. Currently, all staff who fill these roles are based out of a multitude of outdated and inadequate structures, ranging from an old barn to a house converted into offices to an entire complex of old greenhouses needing replacement. More importantly, however, is the reality that these departments, which interact every day, are located in separate facilities. Our maintenance barn, which we oddly call the “Warehouse,” is so old that it cannot be covered by a wind insurance policy – an obvious problem in the hurricane zone. As such, to remedy this overall bad situation, we commenced conceptual design work in July on a new facility that will house all of these departments and units. The design team consists of 3.fromme Design (Sanford, FL), our lead designer for the Centennial Master Plan and the Magic Christmas in Lights master plan, Sitework Studios (Asheville, NC), Cummings Architecture (Mobile, AL), and Orion Engineers + Constructors (Mobile, AL). This project, one of great complexity, would not be possible without the support that has been given to our Laying the Groundwork capital campaign. But, the completion of this project is essential for our future growth, development, and continuance as the leading public garden and historic estate on the Gulf Coast.

One day, y’all, perhaps I’ll just write about flowers and exciting plants. Today, however, I hope I have given you a peak at the scale of our efforts to bring Bellingrath Gardens & Home into its second century of existence. We so appreciate all of the support that you bring to us, and we, as always, look forward to seeing you at BGH!

For the past few years, as the days of Summer get shorter and we all begin to anticipate a welcome change in the seasons, the Gardens here have rung in the coming cool(er) days with the Great Bellingrath Harvest. The Fall Plant Market kicks off the party from September 18th to the 20th this year – kind of like Mardi Gras, it really is a whole season instead of just one event, but we do start it with a big party: three days of music, drinks (lemonade and sweet tea), and plenty of goodies to take home (plants!). We’ll have some excellent late season color if your Summer bedding plants are beginning to get tired, as well as Spring-flowering trees and fragrant shrubs, and of course an offering of tropical houseplants to get you through the chilly Winter with some indoors greenery. We’re pairing this excellent shopping opportunity with our annual STEM Education Day, so there will be tons of local organizations for kids to connect with. It’s also generally just a fantastic time to visit the Gardens and watch as new displays begin unfolding. With so much going on, the Fall Plant Market is our sweet farewell serenade to the long, hot Summers of the South and a grateful hymn to welcome in the actual best time of the year to put new plants in the ground: Fall. 

Most people think Spring is the perfect time to plant, but Spring is really about the show perennial plants put on after they’ve saved up all the energy they’ve stored over the past year – Spring may be when plants spend that energy to show up in their finest flowers and fresh foliage, but Fall is really when you want to get your perennial plants started. To produce the best Spring flowers and Summer fruit, most plants need a chance to settle their roots in and get established.

One way to think about it is to remember that plants can’t really move around – they can’t usually pick up and move to a more comfortable climate when things get too warm or too chilly, too wet or too dry – and so they’ve come up with a whole host of different metabolic solutions to cope with the constant changes in their environments. Like us, plants tend to run in cycles. Plants from temperate areas like Lower Alabama, which enjoy warm Summers and cool Winters, tend to have a routine tied both to the individual day and the time of year. They start with a morning routine just like us (minus the coffee), when the growing light and warmth of the day initiate chemical processes that help them generate the energy they use to grow and bloom. They wrap up with a nighttime routine, slowing down and storing their energy, breathing deep, and resting and repairing themselves. On a macrocosmic scale, these cycles are repeated from season to season over the year. When the days are long and warm, with plenty of available sunlight and water, plants generate a lot of energy and get most of their growing done; when things slow down and generally become drier, cooler, and darker, they rest and recuperate, getting everything ready to come back out and celebrate with a bang in the Spring.

So mark your calendars, prepare your garden beds, and begin dreaming about what new and beautiful plants you’ll find and fall in love with at the Fall Plant Market!

On Saturday, August 29th, the Bellingrath riverfront was bustling as volunteers planted marsh grasses on Bellingrath Spit. The workday was organized by our partners at the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program. It will stabilize the newly rebuilt spit, preserving the Fowl River ecosystem for the next twenty years.

A boat, the Ms. Ruth, docked at the River Pavilion and ferried the planting team to and from the spit. That was possible because of your generous donations this spring. Your gifts paid for repairs to years of damage to the River Pavilion, including damage from Tropical Storm Bertha’s high water in July. We’ve also used the funds to install handrails to enhance safety for our guests, particularly school groups that visit the real-time water monitoring station at the dock. This week we’ll replace the badly damaged shake roof with a metal roof, which will vastly improve the appearance of our front porch on the Fowl River.

Your generosity has helped us to reactivate the riverfront. We’re grateful for your gifts and for the many opportunities the Pavilion offers us to enjoy the river’s natural beauty, learn about the local ecosystem, and help protect it.

Two dozen donors have purchased commemorative bricks in honor of or in memory of a loved one, or to reflect their own love for the Gardens. It’s a beautiful way to leave a lasting legacy at Bellingrath. The funds received have helped to fund the first wave of design for our Centennial Master Plan.

This coming spring, we’re looking forward to installing these bricks in the Keyhole Garden behind the recently restored Summer House. Best known as the home of the polar bears during Magic Christmas in Lights, the Keyhole Garden needed restoration of its own. It will be the focus of our year-end giving campaign. We’ll preserve the garden’s historic shape while elevating its appearance with elegant new stonework.

Our first set of commemorative bricks will edge the path, reminding family and friends of memories in the Gardens. There’s still time to purchase a brick and be part of this beautifully restored garden. Go to this link for more information or to purchase.

The Bellingrath Morse Foundation had its very first meeting on February 1, 1950 with Walter Bellingrath serving as chairman and Turner Rice, an employee of the First National Bank’s Trust Department acting as secretary. There were three other members serving that day:

• Walter K. Smith, Vice President of Mobile Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Mr. Smith was a founding partner in our accounting firm, Smith Dukes.
• William C. Dorgan (married to Bessie Bellingrath’s sister, Pearl), another Vice President of Coca-Cola and General Sales Manager, and
• C. Ernest Edgar, Jr., Mrs. Bellingrath’s nephew and Secretary-Treasurer for Mobile’s Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

The board makeup would change over the years leading up to Mr. Bellingrath’s death, but here are some interesting events and some items discussed over the first two years of the board’s existence as Mr. Bell formed his ideas for the future operations of Bellingrath Gardens and Home:

1950:

• Feb. 1, Snack Bar opened.

1952:

• April, a heavy hailstorm broke over 200 panes of glass in the Conservatory/Palm House. August 5, Monolith dedicated.
• November 25, voted that the admission price for the Bellingrath Home would always exceed the price of general admission by “25% or more.”
• Walter Bellingrath transferred and delivered the principal part of the furnishings of the Home as well as “fixtures and embellishments” to the Foundation. And he stated: “The care in proper order of these articles requires constant attention which must be performed by someone having intimate knowledge of their value, arrangement and care to preserve said articles, many of which are irreplaceable.”
• Voted that no one will be allowed to live in the Home or have use of items from the Bessie Morse Bellingrath Collection.
• Voted to allow for the Guest House to be converted, if needed, to a residence for Gardens manager with a portion of the garage enclosed for a kitchen and dining room. This would reduce the space to allow for 4 rather than 6 vehicles.
• Voted to never allow the Chapel to be used for residential or refreshment purposes.
• Walter Bellingrath announced, “I have no objection if the Lodge is torn down if it is then landscaped and used as part of the Gardens proper.”
• Approved the installation of a new hot water boiler for the Bellingrath Home. Old one was leaking.
• U. S. Highway 90 has been four laned.

Next up: 1953-the months following Walter Bellingrath’s death in 1955.

In 1949 invitations were sent for an 80th birthday party for Walter Bellingrath. A makeshift stage of bamboo held Mr. Bellingrath and some family members backing up to the Home while nearly 500 seated guests filled the driveway area in front of what today is the Delchamps Gallery. 

To the guests’ amusement, his young nephew and namesake, Walter Bellingrath Edgar appeared costumed like the Sprite Boy. That character had been created in 1942 by illustrator Howard Sundblom who had earlier drawn the familiar Santa Claus image. The Sprite Boy led to the official adoption of “Coke” alongside Coca-Cola. 

Walter was pulling his red wagon and in the bed of that wagon was another surprise for his 80 year old uncle: 16 engraved sterling silver loving cups. Judge Ben Turner read a list of the donors while young Robert Edington read the actual inscriptions on each: 

1. The State of Alabama, James E. Folsom, Governor.

2. In Recognition of his Outstanding Service to Mobile County, Board of Revenue and Road Commissioners, Mobile County, Alabama 

3. In This Symbol We Express To You Our Appreciation of Your High Ideals of Civic Service, Board of Commissioners, City of Mobile 

4. Your Montgomery Kith and Kin Salute You, and Wish You Many Happy Returns of the Day on this, Your 80th Birthday. Mary, Elmore, Jean, Suzanne, and Stanhope. (Editor’s note: Walter Belllingrath’s sister-in-law Mary Elmore Bellingrath (1876-1955), daughters, Elmore Bartlett (1911-1992), Jean Lane (1916-1994) and Suzanne von Gal (1920-1991). Stanhope was a brother of Mary Bellingrath and was Secretary-Treasurer of Montgomery Coca-Cola Bottling Co.) 

5. With Love and Appreciation for your Accomplishments as a Bottler of Coca-Cola, Floriculturist, and Christian Benefactor. Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Arkansas, by: Mrs. T. L. Bellingrath and Family: Carl, Edward, Ruth, Maude and Elsie. (Editor’s note: Mrs. T. L. Bellingrath was Walter Bellingrath’s sister-in-law, Maude (1890-1954), widow of his brother Theodore Leon (1864-1919). Her children were Carl (1896-1953), Edward (1908-1949), Ruth Hall(1901-1992), Maude Silverman (1904-1982) and the youngest, Elsie Stebbins (1913-2011). 

6. Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Selma (Owned by his sister Kate) 

7. Associates and Employees of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Mobile, Alabama. 

8. Executives and Employees of Bellingrath Gardens. 

9. Officers and Employees of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Frisco City (owned by W. D. Bellingrath) 

10. Employees of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Biloxi (Also owned by W. D. Bellingrath) 

11. Harry Crawford & Associates (Advertising agency with offices in Mobile and Montgomery) 

12. Mobile Press-Register (Mr. Bellingrath worked to establish the Mobile Press in 1929. It later absorbed the older Mobile Register.) 

13. Radio Station WABB (established by the Mobile Press-Register on June 19, 1948 and owned by the newspaper until 1959.) 

14. I. B. Tigrett, President of the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad. Isaac Burton Tigrett (1879-1954) oversaw the merger of the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad with the Mobile and Ohio Railroad in 1940 to create the G. M. & O which he presided over until 1952. Mr. Tigrett’s great nephew and namesake founded the Hard Rock Café chain. 

15. Lerio Corporation, originally founded as the Lerio Patent Cup Co. in 1914 by Louis J. Lerio who successfully patented several types of equipment used in the collection of turpentine. Mr. Bellingrath was an investor in the firm and became its president after Mr. Lerio’s death in 1942. 

16. The First National Bank. Walter Bellingrath was a director of the bank for many years and it handled the trust he created. 

A Special Certificate 

The loving cups are on display on the Riverside Dining Porch with another gift presented to Mr. Bell in 1949: a special hand colored certificate from the Liquid Carbonic Corporation which had invented a low pressure method of filling glass bottles with carbonated beverages. The new method reduced the chances of bottles exploding under pressure. Walter Bellingrath purchased the very first system and they sought to honor him for that long relationship. The company is still in existence today as a branch of Praxair. We are grateful for the Mobile Coca-Cola Company for donating this certificate back to Bellingrath Gardens and Home.