Bellingrath Gardens for the Holidays
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| Photo Credit: Lane Greer |
| Traditional Christmas colors abound in this pot filled with a poinsettia, paperwhites, flowering kale, geraniums and petunias. |
Don’t let winter’s chill keep you from visiting wonderful gardens! Last December my family visited Bellingrath Gardens and Home, located just 15 miles from Mobile, AL, and we were amazed to see poinsettias, paperwhites and amaryllis growing outside! You might expect to see camellias blooming in winter, but roses, salvia and geraniums? Even shrimp plants – those hothouse denizens – were in full bloom in the great outdoors.
Our visit was truly fantastic. The Bellingrath estate, which began as a lowly fishing camp, was reinvented by Mrs. Bessie Mae Bellingrath – a devoted gardener. She hired designers and a score of gardeners to create the great landscape that visitors enjoy today. The gardens have been open since the 1930s, when the Bellingraths had such a popular open house that they had to use the Mobile Police Department to direct traffic.
All those designers and workers did quite a job! Today, special attractions include the rose, butterfly and geometric gardens, as well as the Bayou Boardwalk and Mirror Lake. And don’t miss the Bellingrath conservatory, full of annuals, orchids and tropical plants.
If you visit during the holiday season, you’ll get the special treat of seeing scads of Christmas lights artfully strung about the garden from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. There are more than 3 million lights in the garden, and visitors can take a self-guided walking tour of the 65-acre grounds.
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| Tips |
- Wear comfortable shoes when you visit – the grounds at Bellingrath cover 65 acres!
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| Facts |
- Bellingrath Gardens and Home is open every day, except Dec. 25. The Christmas lights display begins the Friday after Thanksgiving and runs until New Year’s Eve, from 5-9 p.m. There are a number of visiting packages, but basic admission is $10 for adults and $5.50 for children.
- While the gardens are handicap-accessible, the house isn’t.
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| Resources |
- To find out more about Bellingrath Gardens and Home, visit its Website.
Read More... - The Magnolia Café is open for supper every night during the holidays. Check the Bellingrath Website to see what’s on the menu.
Read More...
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