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By Tom McGehee, Museum Director of the Bellingrath Home Although Walter and Bessie Bellingrath had no children of their own, they were richly blessed to be an important part of the lives of their many nieces and nephews. In 1976,…
By Dr. Bill Barrick, Executive Director One of the most wonderful water features in the Gardens is the majestic, three-tiered cast iron fountain in the center of the Rose Garden. Many of our guests may be surprised to learn that it…
By Dr. Bill Barrick, Executive Director Without question, Allamandas are some of the most useful and beautiful flowering plants for our summer gardens at Bellingrath Gardens and Home. Allamandas are members of the Apocynaceae family and members of…
By Tom McGehee, Museum Director of the Bellingrath Home Walter D. Bellingrath is remembered as Mobile's first Coca-Cola Bottler and the founder of Bellingrath Gardens and Home. But he was also well known for his civic leadership in Mobile for…
By Tom McGehee, Museum Director of the Bellingrath Home The Monolith, a well-known feature within Bellingrath Gardens, will reach its 70th anniversary in August 2021. In 1950, Walter Bellingrath contracted with McNeel Memorials of Marietta, Ga., to develop…
By Dr. Bill Barrick, Executive Director From its earliest beginnings as a fishing camp, water was an important feature in the original design of Bellingrath Gardens. With so much natural water surrounding the site, it is interesting to see how…
By Tom McGehee, Museum Director of the Bellingrath Home Visitors from across the nation and around the world have enjoyed Bellingrath Gardens and Home since the Gardens first opened to the public in 1932. Over the past 84 years,…
By Dr. Bill Barrick, Executive Director The four seasonal hallmarks of the Gardens are camellias in winter; azaleas in spring; roses in summer; and chrysanthemums in fall. But soon, hydrangeas may eclipse roses as we continue to add plantings of…
By Tom McGehee, Museum Director of the Bellingrath Home When Walter Bellingrath purchased his fishing camp, the property had an enviable riverfront location but no modern conveniences. A wood-burning stove occupied the kitchen; lighting was by kerosene; and…
By Dr. Bill Barrick, Executive Director In many of the past blogs and newsletters, I have written about using tropical plants in our summer displays. Traditionally, we have always used a wide array of tropical hibiscus, copper and allamandas to…