Spring is a wonderful time to visit a public garden and get new ideas for your own private space. Recently I went back and toured again the Hills & Dales Estate in LaGrange, Georgia with 45 of my master gardener friends. The former home of the Fuller E. Callaway family, the mansion is a beautiful Georgian Italian villa. While I admire the home, I absolutely love the gardens.

The history of the gardens at Hills & Dales began in 1832 when Nancy Coleman Ferrell planted a small formal garden on her LaGrange property. Her daughter, Sarah took over the care of the garden in 1841. Sarah scratched out garden design ideas in the dirt and slowly expanded the space to include formal boxwood parterres on six terrace levels. She rooted her own boxwoods and scoured the region for plants, especially unusual and exotic ornamentals. Known as Ferrell Gardens to the locals, the gardens were popular with young courting couples.

Sarah created parterre gardens with English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa') and arranged them into spiritual mottos

For sixty years, Sarah tended and expanded her gardens but the property fell into disrepair after her death. Fortunately a frequent visitor to the gardens, the wealthy Fuller E. Callaway, purchased the site and he and wife Ida Cason Callaway began restoring the gardens in 1911 and building their stunning mansion on the hillside. Later their son, Fuller E. Callaway Jr. and wife Alice Hand Callaway began caring for the estate and the gardens in 1936. Alice lovingly cared for and continued to expand the gardens for sixty years just as Sarah Ferrell had done. In 1998, the Callaway family bequeathed Hills & Dales Estate to the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation. The house and gardens were opened to the public in 2004. 

Take a walk with me through these charming, formal southern gardens that were nurtured by four strong southern women….

You are welcomed to the garden through this charming "bird" garden gate.

The sunken garden as seen from the house.

A southern magnolia is espaliered over the windows of this former garage and chauffeur's quarters on the grounds.

The Ray Garden features seasonal flower beds.

I love this weathered bench under a towering mimosa tree!

Chinese privet frames this approach to the greenhouse.

The herb garden is laid out in a formal pattern next to the greenhouse.

Alice Callaway loved collecting orchids and maidenhair ferns in the greenhouse.

I liked this garden saying tucked into the greenhouse.

Some of the 45 master gardeners on the tour pause at the Callaway home.

Take a trip to tour this southern gem in LaGrange and see how four strong southern women created a beautiful and historic garden.

Tucked away in Kennesaw, you will find a gem of a garden that encompasses 16 acres, including the historic Hiram Butler Home (ca. 1880).  A Confederate major, Butler is known for his role in “The Great Locomotive Race,” helping to track down the Union soldiers who stole the General locomotive. After a former house burned down, Hiram Butler built this home with triple-layer brick walls, over 12 inches thick.

In 1970, Richard Smith and Dr. Robert Gilbert bought the Hiram Butler home and the surrounding acreage. Their original goal was to attract birds that migrated over their property. Over a 35-year period they continued to develop the spectacular gardens, which include 30 contemporary sculptures and over 3,000 species of plants. You’ll find plants here you may never have seen before!

Recently I enjoyed a guided tour of the home and gardens with 50 members of the Peachtree City Garden Club. We wandered down pathways through various themed garden areas including the conifer garden, rock garden, rose garden, camellia garden, waterfall area, woodlands, bonsai exhibit and the new Gather ‘N’ Grow edible garden that just opened in March.

Come along for a little spring tour of the Smith-Gilbert Gardens…

Members of Peachtree City Garden Club gather outside of the Hiram Butler Home before garden tour begins.

Deodar cypress in the Conifer Garden

'Flame' azalea in all its golden glory!

I love this old bench covered in lichen. In the back you see mahonia.

Metal arbor frames one of the contemporary sculptures - the signature piece in the garden.

A row of snowball viburnum - wow!

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Another interesting sculpture entitled 'Harlequin'

'Bird in Hand' sculpture at the waterfall

Landscape bonsai exhibit

Raised beds at the new edible garden - Gather 'N' Grow - "a place for dirty hands, playful hearts and happy learning."

Going vertical at the edible garden.

And back to the Butler home through the 'Magnolia Gate.'

Take some time when you are in the Atlanta area to enjoy the stunning Smith-Gilbert Gardens.

Even with a pollen count at records levels, I decided to take a golf cart ride around my Peachtree City Georgia town to photograph the amazing spring blooms popping up all over. Not even the yellow pollen dust can detract from the beauty.

These few weeks are precious to Southerners when the dogwoods, azaleas, redbuds and cherry blossoms are out in all their splendor. Right now there is nowhere else in the world so lovely!

Here is just a sampling of the views I saw on this lovely spring day…

Traditional southern home surrounded by dogwoods and azaleas

The dogwood bloom has a perfect shape. This photo was taken by my friend Cubie Steele.

This amazing snowball viburnum takes pride of place in a yard with very few plants at all! But wow - what a show this time of year!

The delicate pink blooms of the redbud provide a wonderful compliment to the dogwood

White azaleas and dogwood

Lady Banks roses blooming on my trellis!

My mother's camellia is still blooming.

My friend, Al Baird, showed me around his amazing garden filled with azaleas and camellias

My pond water has a yellowish pollen tint to compliment the Japanese kerria starting to bloom with its pretty yellow flower!

Get outside to enjoy the spectacular show and take photos to remember how pretty your garden looks in the spring!