Hydrangea Festival 2013

Blushing Bride Hydrangea

Another year for the 6th Annual Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival Garden Tour and Flower Show in Douglasville/Douglas County, Georgia.  The hydrangea for the flower show this year is the beautiful Blushing Bride.  I had a chance to do check out the Standard Flower Show results, the festival market, the Daytime Garden Tour, Cultural Arts Center – Display Gardens and Butterfly Garden.  Today, I am going to discuss about the Cultural Arts Center Gardens .

The interesting thing about the Cultural Arts Center is the history and the location of it’s grounds of the Robert-Mozley House.   It was built more than 100 years ago and today the graceful house and gardens are alive and well.   In 2007, a major garden restoration began with the assistance of the Douglas County Master Gardeners, Ama-Kanasta Garden Club and the staff  and  Board of the Cultural Arts Council.  Through all of the sweat equity and hard work the garden is now home to hydrangeas, hostas, camellias, flowering bulbs, perennials and annuals, together with butterfly nectar and host plants.

The Display Garden at the Cultural Arts Center was change for the Hydrangea Festival and its theme is the miniature gardens (Fairy  Gardens) displayed in wheelbarrows.  Each wheelbarrow was made by the 4H group of Douglas County, Douglas County Master and Jr. Gardeners, Ama-Kanasta Garden Club, the Hydrangea Festival Staff and Friends.  Everyone was so creative in their thinking of their own Fairy Garden.   Check out our Pinterest board to see the photos of Fairy Gardens and choose what is your favorite miniature wheelbarrow garden.  Click here. 

Then, I went to the Butterfly Garden where I had a chance to learn more of the butterflies and their habitats .  The garden’s goal is to provide a:

Setting in which butterflies can be observed visiting native plants and to educate and encourage each generation to to support the creation and preservation of native butterfly habitats.

Each plant labeling contain a Common Name, Botanical Name and Icons such as: star for Native to North America, house for Butterfly Host Plant, plate setting with fork and knife for Butterfly Nectar Plant and a Japanese fan for Historic/Heirloom 1800’s plant.  Click here to see the Butterfly Gardens in Pinterest.

I truly enjoyed myself while walking through theses gardens and learn so much about the plants and the creative thinking from everyone who was involved.  Next week, I am going to discuss about Standard Flower Show results and  the festival market.

Florida Botanical Gardens – Part 1

Since the weather is getting colder this week blog posting will give you a warm  vision of Florida.  I had the chance to visit the Pinellas County – Florida Botanical Gardens which is a free educating environmental friendly gardens. These wonderful gardens are run by Pinellas County Extension – Master Gardener which has over 30 acres of cultivated gardens and 90 acres of natural areas.  I truly loved this place and learned so much about Florida’s gardens,  wildlife and habitats.   The Florida Botanical Gardens ideas birth began in 1991. Starting in 1999,  the Florida Botanical Gardens build the gardens and it was  completed in early 2001.

The first place I visited was the Wetland Habitat where I had a chance to observed how the plants, trees and animals become at home in a man made retention pond.  The Wetland Habitat has over 150 types of bird, mammals, and reptiles that have been documented on site. Several endangered or threatened species including Bald Eagles, Gopher tortoises and Sherman Fox squirrels make their home there.  I had a chance to see a pelican looking for their first meal and alligator sunbathing in the hot sun.

There are beautiful flowers that are indigenous to the Wetlands Habitats that were planted and bloomed around the pound.  Some of the flowers and plants were the gorgeous bird of paradise, lilies, wild coffee and the blanket flower.

The Florida Botanical Gardens office has volunteer Master Gardeners to assist with the staff to keep the grounds looking beautiful.  There is indoor waterfall, water loving plants in hanging pots, drought resistant and weird looking plants coming out from the building.

Another place on the grounds was the Wedding Garden where there is a rose garden that showed a varied kind of roses. There were different types and shapes of topiary, beautiful Hibiscus flowers and unusually shape pines.  The site is perfect for a wedding with the brick pathway and open spaces.

Next week blog post is the Herb and Vegetable Garden and check out my Florida Botanical Gardens pictures in the gardening section on Pinterest.  Click here!