Recently I needed photos of Birmingham for an article. When I searched my files I came across flower photos I had taken at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. I had never used them or written about the impressive gardens.
In the 1950s James W. Morgan, city mayor at the time, led an effort to establish the gardens on a portion of unused city property east of the Birmingham Zoo on the side of Red Mountain.
The gardens officially opened in 1963. Today the site is home to more than 12,000 different types of plants, 25 unique gardens, more than 30 works of original outdoor sculpture and several miles of walking paths.
The Mission: Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens promotes public knowledge and appreciation of plants, gardens and the environment and receives, raises and administers resources for these purposes.
The Vision: The vision of Birmingham Botanical Gardens is to be one of the nation’s preeminent botanical gardens.
With more than 350,000 visitors every year, the mission and vision are ideals that have come true. It has become Alabama’s largest living museum and offers the only public horticultural library in the nation.
There is no admission charge and the gardens are open 365 days a year; dawn to dusk.
Come and walk with me and my memories of this grand place.
