The Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens is excited to welcome Margot Shaw as the special guest speaker for our annual Spencer Lecture. Margot is the founder and editor-in-chief of FLOWER Magazine. Now in its 19th year, the magazine has grown to include features on homes, gardens, entertaining, and lifestyle. Margot is a sought-after speaker at antique and…
Bring your preschoolers and little ones to enjoy a story in the gardens. This storytime fosters a love of reading, creativity, and nature. Location: Southern Living Garden (weather permitting)
Join Allison Creel of Blue Rooster Farms to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in this indoor gardening workshop. Participants will each create a seasonal dish garden to take home using a selection of hardy indoor plants, spring bulbs, and some wee surprises. Allison will give pointers for keeping your indoor plants at their best. Perfect for…
Unwind and enjoy the sights and smells of the garden from our newly constructed Herb Terrace. In this outdoor yoga class, Betsy Smith, President of the American Herb Society, will guide participants through a gentle, all-levels yoga practice focused on posture, flexibility, and balance. Beginners are welcome; please bring your own mat and dress for…
Join us in the Garden Lab where your little ones will experience a unique blend of guided activities, nature immersive play, and connection in our sensory garden. For children ages 2-5 years old accompanied by an adult. Location: Outdoor Classroom
Join the Japan-America Society of Alabama and the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens in celebrating the Cherry Blossom Festival! This family-friendly event will feature cultural exhibits and activities for all ages.
Around 1970, Mobile native Dr. Eugene Aromi set out to produce superior blooming azalea hybrids that could stand up to Alabama’s heat and humidity. In pursuit of his goal, Dr. Aromi carried out over 1,000 crosses and evaluated over 50,000 plants—of which he selected just over 100 to be named. Presented by Advanced Master Gardener…
Did you know that a Blue Jay’s feathers lack blue pigment and only appear blue because of an optical illusion called light scattering? Or that Alabama has the greatest diversity of Sarracenia pitcher plants in the world? Join naturalist Henry Hershey for an evening in Rushton Garden to play trivia, enjoy complimentary drinks, and learn…
Bring your preschoolers and little ones to enjoy a story in the gardens. This storytime fosters a love of reading, creativity, and nature. Location: Southern Living Garden (weather permitting)
Think you need a big backyard to grow vegetables? Think again! Learn how to grow fresh veggies in any sunny spot—from suburban gardens to patios and balconies. Advanced Master Gardener Karen Mitchell will discuss how to choose the best vegetables for your space and inspire you with easy, rewarding options for a spring and summer…
We invite you to join us for upcoming "Thyme to Read" book club gatherings, hosted monthly by the Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Create a beautiful spring container garden to take home in this hands-on workshop with Gardens’ Horticulturist Terry Phillips. You will learn about standout plants for spring containers and simple care tips, then design your own planter using the classic "filler, thriller, spiller" approach. Please bring your garden gloves! $35 supply fee included. Instructor: Terry Phillips…
Bring your preschoolers and little ones to enjoy a story in the gardens. This storytime fosters a love of reading, creativity, and nature. Location: Southern Living Garden (weather permitting)
Learn about the many benefits that native plants offer both to the urban gardener and to the wildlife that rely on them in this multi-faceted presentation by Isabelle Bracewell with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Isabelle will highlight native plants that are easy to install and discuss how to create urban spaces…
Enjoy priority shopping at our popular Spring Plant Sale as a member of the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens!
Enjoy the Friends of BBG's Annual Spring Plant Sale!
Enjoy the Friends of BBG's Annual Spring Plant Sale!
In addition to our Earth Day festivities, we will host a week-long BioBlitz. A BioBlitz is a community science initiative that invites participants to help document the plants, animals, fungi, and insects found within a designated area. The event will take place in the Kaul Wildflower Garden from Monday, April 20 through Saturday, April 25.…
Join Advanced Master Gardener Susan Hagen for an engaging exploration of the 18th-century English Landscape Garden, a style that emerged in artistic opposition to the formality of Baroque design. This illustrated presentation examines the influential work of architects such as William Kent, Lancelot “Capability” Brown, and Humphry Repton, and highlights iconic landscapes including Rousham, Stowe,…
Did you know that a Blue Jay’s feathers lack blue pigment and only appear blue because of an optical illusion called light scattering? Or that Alabama has the greatest diversity of Sarracenia pitcher plants in the world? Join naturalist Henry Hershey for an evening in Rushton Garden to play trivia, enjoy complimentary drinks, and learn…
Bring your preschoolers and little ones to enjoy a story in the gardens. This storytime fosters a love of reading, creativity, and nature. Location: Southern Living Garden (weather permitting)
Spark a love for nature in your little ones! Join bestselling author and teaching artist Irealle Saul-Sylves for a special Earth Day storytime at 10–10:30 a.m. and 12:30–1 p.m. Known for bringing stories to life that inspire self-confidence, imagination, and personal growth, Irealle has a gift for bridging the gap between reading and comprehension in…
Start your Earth Day morning grounded and energized! Join Kenyele Harrison of Kenetic Wellness for a revitalizing Pilates session surrounded by the beauty of the Gardens. All fitness levels are welcome. Please bring a yoga mat, water bottle, and small towel. As a special touch, each participant will receive a gift from the instructor! Become…
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the risk of inclement weather, we are delaying the start of festivities until 11 a.m. All are welcome to join us for our newly revamped Earth Day celebration at the Gardens! Enjoy fun activities for the whole family: Wellness Sessions (Registration required | $15 each) Location: Formal Lawn for the live…
Join Claire Cole for peaceful, restorative yoga in the Southern Living Garden. Whether you're a seasoned yogi or just starting your practice, this class offers a way to honor both your well-being and the earth beneath your feet. Please bring a yoga mat, water bottle, and small towel. Location: Southern Living Garden Become a Friend…
Join us in the Garden Lab where your little ones will experience a unique blend of guided activities, nature immersive play, and connection in our sensory garden. For children ages 2-5 years old accompanied by an adult. Location: Outdoor Classroom
We invite you to join us for upcoming "Thyme to Read" book club gatherings, hosted monthly by the Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Enjoy a glass of rosé provided by Finch Fine Wines and celebrate the Gardens’ roses by joining us for this festive fundraiser hosted by the Friends' Junior Board. Reservations required.
Bring your preschoolers and little ones to enjoy a story in the gardens. This storytime fosters a love of reading, creativity, and nature. Location: Southern Living Garden (weather permitting)
Wander through the Kaul Wildflower Garden with environmental educator and habitat gardener Michelle Reynolds and open your eyes to the abundance of plant diversity that contributes to Alabama’s ranking as #4 in the nation for natural diversity. Learn how to draw on this rich environment to inform your plant palette and gardening style at home.…
Join us in the Garden Lab where your little ones will experience a unique blend of guided activities, nature immersive play, and connection in our sensory garden. For children ages 2-5 years old accompanied by an adult. Location: Outdoor Classroom
We are excited to shine a spotlight on the impact and benefits of membership by hosting May Membership Month! Enjoy special perks for new, renewing, and current members throughout the month, including a FREE member-exclusive tour of the Kaul Wildflower Garden with horticulturist Terry Phillips. Registration required. Limited to two tickets per member.
We are excited to shine a spotlight on the impact and benefits of membership by hosting May Membership Month! Enjoy special perks for new, renewing, and current members throughout the month, including this FREE member-exclusive Bruno Vegetable Garden tour with horticulturist Katelyn Bahr. Registration required. Limited to two tickets per member.
We are excited to shine a spotlight on the impact and benefits of membership by hosting May Membership Month! Enjoy special perks for new, renewing, and current members throughout the month, including this FREE member-exclusive Japanese Garden tour with horticulturist Julia Adams. Registration required. Limited to two tickets per member.
Known to many as America’s Favorite Rose Gardener or the Redneck Rosarian, Chris VanCleave has spent decades with dirt under his nails and passion in his heart, growing roses that inspire beauty and connection. In this presentation Chris will introduce the fundamentals of rose care tailored for Alabama’s climate. Attendees will learn how to select…
Bring your preschoolers and little ones to enjoy a story in the gardens. This storytime fosters a love of reading, creativity, and nature. Location: Southern Living Garden (weather permitting)
Join us for this 4-day summer camp!
This event has been canceled. Did you know that a Blue Jay’s feathers lack blue pigment and only appear blue because of an optical illusion called light scattering? Or that Alabama has the greatest diversity of Sarracenia pitcher plants in the world? Join naturalist Henry Hershey for an evening in Rushton Garden to play trivia,…
Join us for this week-long summer camp!
We invite you to join us for upcoming "Thyme to Read" book club gatherings, hosted monthly by the Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Discover the remarkable world of daylilies in this three-week course led by experienced daylily grower Rene Holliman, owner of Holliman Gardens. Each week will cover a different facet of this dynamic garden staple beginning with the history and anatomy of the modern daylily. In the second week you will learn how to evaluate, select, and…
Tour the Fern Glade and Stumpery to preview the ferns that will be sold on Saturday, June 20.
Join us for this week-long summer camp!
Join horticulturist Julia Adams for a hands-on workshop to learn how to propagate plants via air-layering. This method of propagation allows you to multiply difficult-to-root plants during the summer when plants are still in an active growing phase. In this session, you will learn about the science behind air-layering and practice on plants throughout the…
Join us for this 4-day summer camp!
The Birmingham Fern Society will hold its annual sale of hardy ferns in the growing area above the Fern Glade in Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Join us for this week-long summer camp!
The mint family is one of the most versatile and beneficial groups of medicinal plants—yet it’s often overlooked. In this outdoor workshop with clinical herbalist and educator Cameron Strouss, you'll discover how eleven beloved medicinal mints can support your well-being. You’ll have the chance to smell, taste, and learn practical ways to begin incorporating these…
Join us for this week-long summer camp!
Join the Japan America Society of Alabama and the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens to celebrate Tanabata, the Japanese "Star Festival." Marking the reunion of two star-crossed lovers according to legend, this festival occurs on the 7th day of the 7th month and is celebrated with performances, traditional activities like calligraphy, and the tradition of…
We invite you to join us for upcoming "Thyme to Read" book club gatherings, hosted monthly by the Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Join author and biologist David Haskell as he explores the creative powers of flowering plants in his latest book, How Flowers Made our World. an exquisite exploration of some of the most consequential life forms ever to have evolved. Inspired by the most up-to-date scientific research, the book studies magnolias, orchids, and roses, as well…
Favored by indoor and outdoor gardeners alike, the staghorn fern gets its name from the unique shape of the fronds which look like a stag's antlers. In this hands-on workshop, Terry Phillips, horticulturist of the Kaul Wildflower Garden, will walk you through the process of creating a mount for this distinctive fern that mimics its…
Join us for this week-long summer camp!
Join us for this week-long summer camp!
Curious about how nature and pop culture relate to one another? Bring your friends and join naturalist Henry Hershey for an evening in Rushton Garden to play trivia, enjoy complimentary drinks, and learn something new. Novices to experts are welcome to compete for a chance to win a prize. Location: Rushton Garden
We invite you to join us for upcoming "Thyme to Read" book club gatherings, hosted monthly by the Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Learn the fundamentals of working with concrete as you design and cast your own custom planters from start to finish. Artist and Vivatia Plant Care Services owner Astrid Jerez will guide you through the process of creating your own planters while learning foundational techniques in concrete, design, and plant styling. Each participant will take home…
Learn the fundamentals of working with concrete as you design and cast your own custom planters from start to finish. Artist and Vivatia Plant Care Services owner Astrid Jerez will guide you through the process of creating your own planters while learning foundational techniques in concrete, design, and plant styling. Each participant will take home…
Landscaping with trees and woody shrubs requires planning, patience, and an understanding of how plants grow over time, some taking many years to reach their full beauty and impact. Join Bob Koons, a familiar face both in the Kaul Wildflower Garden and at our plant sales, as he discusses the selection, environmental needs, siting, planting,…
Curious about how nature and pop culture relate to one another? Bring your friends and join naturalist Henry Hershey for an evening in Rushton Garden to play trivia, enjoy complimentary drinks, and learn something new. Novices to experts are welcome to compete for a chance to win a prize. Location: Rushton Garden
We invite you to join us for upcoming "Thyme to Read" book club gatherings, hosted monthly by the Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Learn how to preserve your late-summer fig harvest through water-bath canning with Food Safety and Quality Extension Agent Emily Ferko. Participants will leave with a delicious jar of fresh fig-strawberry preserves. Growers have cultivated and enjoyed the edible fig (Ficus carica), native to the Mediterranean, for centuries. In Central Alabama, fig season extends from July…
Bring your preschoolers and little ones to enjoy a story in the gardens. This storytime fosters a love of reading, creativity, and nature.
Join naturalist Michelle Reynolds for a guided hike across the rocky ridges of Double Oak Mountain, dotted with sandstone glades, grassy knolls, longleaf pine forests, thickets and oak groves. Participants will have exclusive access to a section of the park closed to the public. A glade is an open area where bedrock lies at or…
Fall is a wonderful time to garden! Get ready to plant by shopping the Friends’ Fall Plant Sale at the Gardens. Choose from hundreds of plants specially selected for our region by our dedicated volunteer growing groups. Bring your gardening questions for our experts. Members enjoy priority shopping and receive our 2026 Member Plant Gift! Bring…
Fall is a wonderful time to garden! Get ready to plant by shopping the Friends’ Fall Plant Sale at the Gardens. Choose from hundreds of plants specially selected for our region by our dedicated volunteer growing groups. Bring your gardening questions for our experts. Members enjoy priority shopping and receive our 2026 Member Plant Gift! Bring…
Fall is a wonderful time to garden! Get ready to plant by shopping the Friends’ Fall Plant Sale at the Gardens. Choose from hundreds of plants specially selected for our region by our dedicated volunteer growing groups. Bring your gardening questions for our experts. Members enjoy priority shopping and receive our 2026 Member Plant Gift! Bring…
Discover the benefits of saving seeds from your own garden! Join Specialty Gardens horticulturist Katelyn Bahr as she demonstrates how to clean, dry and store vegetable, herb and flower seeds and explains the basics of seed saving, including the difference between open-pollinated and hybrid varieties. You'll leave with the knowledge to confidently save and share…
Bring your preschoolers and little ones to enjoy a story in the gardens. This storytime fosters a love of reading, creativity, and nature.
We invite you to join us for upcoming "Thyme to Read" book club gatherings, hosted monthly by the Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
In the century since the Olmsted Brothers drew up a visionary plan for Birmingham, their insight that access to high-quality public landscapes is integral to healthy urban living is more urgent than ever. Join Thomas L. Woltz, Senior Principal and Owner of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (NBW), for a presentation on the influence of…
Bring your preschoolers and little ones to enjoy a story in the gardens. This storytime fosters a love of reading, creativity, and nature.
Join us for our end-of-summer community harvest! Harvest time at the Gardens is the perfect time to get your hands dirty and experience the joy of vegetable gardening. In this free community event, Specialty Gardens horticulturist Katelyn Bahr will show you how to properly harvest okra, tomatoes, beans, and peppers that the Gardens has grown…
Join author and gardener Dale Sievert as he explores the long and fascinating history of stumperies in his book Stumperies: The Afterlife of Trees. The earliest recorded stumperies, or root gardens, emerged during the "Golden Years" of mid-Victorian England, when advancements in industry and technology fueled economic growth, trade, and culture. Although the stump garden…