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…
Around the Gardens Blog
Around the Gardens Blog
Five Remarkable Herbs for your Kitchen Garden
There is nothing better than using homegrown herbs in a home-cooked meal. Growing herbs in your garden provides many more benefits than just enhancing your culinary dishes. They improve the…
Storytelling through Topiary and Property Art
Join us for an inspiring talk by renowned topiarist Mike Gibson at the 2025 Member Celebration and annual John A. Floyd Jr. Lecture!
Fall Into the Gardens: A Seasonal Book Guide
Looking for a cozy read this fall? The Library at the Gardens has you covered! Our staff has handpicked their favorite books to inspire your connection with nature, from classic…
Passalong Plants: Botanical Heirlooms
BY Sebastian Ortiz Muñoz Passalong plants carry a rich legacy of gardening tradition, connecting generations through the simple act of sharing. These plants exchanged among friends, neighbors, and family often…
Toshinan – Reawakening a Treasure
By Julia Adams, horticulturist for the Japanese GardenPHOTOS BY: SEBASTIAN ORTIZ MUNOZ Seated in the Cultural Center of the Japanese Garden, beyond the Taylor Gate, visitors may discover a 16th-century,…
Meet the 2024 Antiques at the Gardens Honoree
By WENDY WALLACE JOHNSON Bill Ireland jokingly calls himself a “reluctant gardener,” but as he scrolls through photos of flowers in bloom and freshly cut boxwoods in the established English-style…
How to Care for Tomatoes
• EducationAs spring approaches, it is now time to get a jump on your vegetable gardening. Here are important things to know and practice when caring for tomato plants.
Blossoming Futures
During the summer, nature’s most vibrant season, plants thrive and flourish, taking advantage of the extended daylight and warm temperatures to reach new heights of growth and expansion. As stewards…
The Art of Caring for Bonsai
Like any hobby, bonsai begins with that spark of inspiration that ignites when you experience the art of others, and suddenly your world expands, as you see more of what could be and what you can create. At least, that is the common story between Norm Geisinger and John Walker, members of the Birmingham Bonsai Society.