Dothan Area Botanical Gardens spring garden tour

By Christie Kulavich

Published: May 5, 2008

Here’s a post from Whitney McHugh, our Web site guru. She went on the spring garden tour this weekend and wrote something for the blog:

This weekend the Dothan Area Botanical Gardens held its annual Spring Garden Tour. Eleven gardens were on display – nine in Dothan and two in Hartford.

It was my first time on the tour and it will be added to my list of must-attend Spring Events. The tour was well worth the cost of admission: $10 in advanance/$15 at the gardens.

Mother and I spent Sunday afternoon traipsing through 10 of the gardens – we skipped the DABG because it is open year round and time was limited. There were a wide variety of gardens on display – cottage, formal, large, small. There was even a whimsical fairy garden tucked away in the corner of the Johnston’s yard. Tiny succulents and herbs mingled with fairy houses, miniature garden furniture, sparkling stones, and fairies flying from nearby tree limbs.
My favorites were the cottage gardens brimming with poppies, Queen Anne’s lace, foxglove, larkspur and sweat peas.

I aspire to have a cottage garden but right now the only gardens that receive regular care at my house are the herb and vegetable. It was interesting to see how these gardeners worked a variety of herbs and vegetables into their plantings. I now have serious parsley envy. Who knew it would grow into lush clumps more than two feet tall?

The homeowners are in their gardens during the tour and are available to answer questions, identify plants and share their gardening experiences.

Mom learned some tips on combating the rattlesnake weed that infests one of her flower beds. And I learned about a nursery in Jemison, Ala. – Petals from the Past – that specializes in heirloom plants. We both fell in love with a zelkova tree in Teena Allen’s backyard. It looks perfect for climbing.

After touring the gardens in Dothan, we headed to Hartford to see the Guilford home which has about 700 rose plants and two acres of wildflowers. It was beautiful. And the best part was that the roses had the most wonderful fragrances. I walked from one bush to the next sniffing, and upset a couple of bees in the process. 

We made it back to Dothan just in time to revisit one of our favorite gardens on the tour and snap a few more photos.

The ticket was good for both days of the tour. Due to rain, we didn’t go on Saturday. Next year we plan to divide the gardens over both days so we’ll have more time at the homes.

Tips: Wear comfortable shoes. Take a camera. Bring sunscreen. Pack snacks and drinks.