Around the Gardens: Five Prolific Heirloom Pepper Varieties
• Around the GardensCitrusy, striped, stuffable, and one habanero with no heat at all. Meet five heirloom peppers that keep the Bruno Vegetable Garden producing all season.
Around the Gardens Blog
Around the Gardens Blog
Volunteer Spotlight: Janet Lauer, Bruno Vegetable Garden
• Volunteer ProfilesFew volunteers know the Gardens as well as Janet Lauer. Since 2018, she has logged more than 600 hours caring for and tending to different garden spaces across the property.…
A Gift Grown at the Gardens: How 2026 Member Plant Gift
Came to be
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Around the Gardens
In their bumbling, buzzy hurry to get to the good stuff, pollinators are sprinkled with pollen and carry it with them as they visit other plants nearby, enabling the plants to reproduce. These pollinator plants are true crowd pleasers!
Meet the 2026 Antiques at the Gardens Honorees
• Antiques at the GardensBy Wendy Wallace Johnson This year’s anniversary, celebrating two decades of Antiques at the Gardens, recognizes three honorees whose involvement dates back to its earliest days. Margot Shaw, Richard Keith…
Around the Gardens: Five Irresistible Pollinator Plants for National Pollinator Month
• Around the GardensIn their bumbling, buzzy hurry to get to the good stuff, pollinators are sprinkled with pollen and carry it with them as they visit other plants nearby, enabling the plants to reproduce. These pollinator plants are true crowd pleasers!
Remembering Dr. Booker T. Whatley: Godfather of Community Supported Agriculture
By Ianthe’ Smith, FBBG Community Engagement Associate Did you know that the person who innovated the modern-day CSA was from Alabama? This is the legacy of Dr. Booker T. Whatley,…
Sneak Peek: Trees and Shrubs Available at This Week’s Fall Plant Sale
• Around the GardensIt’s the perfect time to get new trees in the ground and there’s no better place to find them than at this week’s Fall Plant Sale, hosted by Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Shop for hundreds of plants and directly support the Friends’ mission to protect, nurture, and share the wonders of Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Plants, Pollinators, & Passion Projects
With August coming to a close, the Gardens’ interns are harvesting the fruits of a laborious and fulfilling summer. Since May, three exceptionally talented and curious young professionals joined the…
Attract Butterflies with these Plants
• Around the GardensWhat primarily attracts butterflies to nectar sources goes beyond the color of the flower—the shape of the flower matters most. Butterflies are attracted to flowers that have large petals that serve as a landing pad for them to access the nectar. They are also attracted to flowers that grow in clusters, where they can land and enjoy multiple feasts. Flowers with slender tubes are also favored, allowing butterflies to insert their proboscis (tongue) to reach the nectar. For these reasons, the following flowers all make the perfect surroundings for the sculpture.
Meet the 2025 Antiques at the Gardens Honorees
By WENDY WALLACE JOHNSON “Can’t you tell I love the Gardens?” Sallie Johnson asks. It’s unmistakable. Suppose you are lucky enough to hear Sallie tell the stories of the Friends…