Beyond the Garden Gates:
BBG Tour Invites Plant Lovers to Homes, Downtown Park
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ 2012 Glorious Gardens Tour presented by Leaf & Petal will feature seven gardens June 2-3.
Event hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 2 and noon-5 p.m. June 3. Tickets, which allow access to all the gardens, are $25. The tour will be held rain or shine.
The biannual event allows ticket-holders intimate views of six private gardens from across the horticultural spectrum, from sprawling ranch-style estates to quaint homeowner-maintained gardens.
Glorious Gardens not only educates visitors about plants, arts, gardening and landscape design but also benefits The Gardens’ mission to promote public knowledge and appreciation of plants, gardens and the environment.
For tickets, visit www.bbgardens.org or call 414-3965. Tickets may also be purchased at Birmingham Botanical Gardens; Leaf & Petal locations at The Gardens, Mountain Brook Village and The Summit; Oak Street Garden Shop; Colliers Nursery; Sweet Peas; Myers Plants and Pottery and Plant Odyssey.
This year’s featured gardens are:
Barbara Saurer and Brad White
316 Greenwood St.
Homewood
Designed and maintained by: Barbara Saurer and Brad White
The Sauer/White Garden sits on a deceptively large lot in the Hollywood area of Homewood. With mature Japanese maples and other uncommon specimens, the front garden greets guests with a fish pond. Rough native stone repeats in a shaded stone patio. Take the side path past the outdoor shower to the back of the property, which contains an herb bed, large composting area, chicken yard and a variety of other garden spaces rich with plantings.
John and Catherine Close
321 Greenwood St.
Homewood
Designed and maintained by: David Brush
The Close garden is tucked into a hillside behind the house, offering no clues to its existence from the front. Clean and simple lines are the hallmark of this compact, serene getaway designed in the manner of a stylized Italian villa. Espaliered pears, spire-like arborvitae and container accents frame the intimate swimming pool and sitting area.
Access to this garden is up a steep grassy slope, so visitors are advised to enter at their own risk.
Jane R. and Neil Ross
501 Kenilworth Drive
Homewood
Designed by: Jane Reed Ross
Landscape architect: Goodwyn Mills Cawood
Maintained by: The homeowner, with seasonal help from Earthworks Landscape, which also installed the stonework
Built in 1947, the Ross cottage and its accompanying garden have continually evolved, but outdoor living space has always been immediately accessible to indoor rooms. Doors often stay comfortably open, inviting guests to move freely from the main rooms to the surprisingly-detailed courtyard garden nestled in the pedestrian-friendly Edgewood community.
Ginger and Charles Clark
2825 Canterbury Road
Birmingham
Designed by: Ro Holman, landscape architect, hardscapes, and Laurie Allen, landscape designer, garden design
Maintained by: Ginger Clark
The Clark garden is a seamless blend of the styles preferred by the homeowners. He favors a manicured look, which is expressed in the stately terrace and elegant plantings in front. She prefers a more liberal approach, utilizing unusual plant materials with contrasting colors in the back gardens, where herbs and unusual vegetables cavort with espaliered fruits and shrub borders.
Mark and Caroline Clark
2449 Vestavia Drive
Birmingham
Designed by: Jason Powell and Owens Landscape
Maintained by: Homeowner and Owens Landscape
Magnolias, hollies, hydrangeas, fruit trees and other traditional Southern garden plants are the bones of the Clark garden. The front garden features Knock Out roses, gardenias and a wildflower garden overlooking a gorgeous view of the valley. In the back, behind a massive hedge of Leyland cypress, an extensive daylily collection borders the rear lawn. Raised beds hold tomatoes, herbs, cut flowers and bearded iris.
Ernest and Vivian Cory
2465 Vestavia Drive
Birmingham
Designed by: J.K. Terry and Company
Maintained by: Landscape Workshop
On Vestavia Drive with a view of Birmingham, the Cory home was built with gardening and outdoor living as a priority. The loggia at the rear of the house spills onto a bluestone terrace and black-bottomed pool where the family often gathers. With a small formal herb garden, an abundant flower border reminiscent of those found in the English countryside and raised vegetable planters, visitors will find plenty to inspire them.
Railroad Park
1600 First Ave. South
Birmingham
Designed by: Tom Leader of Tom Leader Studio and Macknally Land Design
Maintained by: Vision Landscapes
Railroad Park is Birmingham’s newest downtown park, and it’s made quite an impression. With more than 600 trees on site, including more than 50 Princeton elms alone, its trails and walkways among meadows of annuals, biennials and perennials provide breathtaking views of the Magic City throughout every season.
