A Garden of the Heart

Aldridge Gardens is a 30 acre picturesque retreat nestled in the middle of Hoover, Alabama, with urban condos and shopping malls just moments away. Eddie Aldridge, its founder, once lived there with his wife Kay, but with plans for the gardens to become public, they moved to their current home overlooking a lake in 1996. In the new location Eddie has created another impressive garden, filled with plants he loves. This 2 acre personal garden is a garden of the heart, developed not for show but to bring joy to its owners. I was thrilled when Eddie and Kay invited me to visit their garden this week, and I am happy to have their permission to share my photographs of their special place with you. Enjoy!

Their beautiful fountain once graced the Aldridge's Garden Shop. I remember it well, for Aldridge's was one of my favorite places to buy plants!

This lace leaf Japanese maple also once was located on the site of Aldridge's Garden Shop. It is about 60 years old. It is still in a pot, though the bottom of the pot has been knocked out so that its roots can spread.

Here is another one of Eddie's special Japanese maples. This one is about 100 years old! There is a wire cage around its trunk to protect it from beavers, the creatures most notorious for destruction in Aldridge's garden.

Walking around the garden and viewing the lake, one feels the serenity of the space. It is very quiet, except for the birds!

Some more views of the garden:

Charming accents are featured throughout the garden. The butterfly bench is one of my favorites:

Eddie explains that while he oversees the main landscape, Kay's domain is the terrace. This area has great views of the garden and the lake, but I enjoyed Kay's lovely accessories, as well:

Eddie and Kay are well into their retirement years but remain active and very involved in the community. As all good gardens reveal something of the gardener's soul, I think this one reflects the gracious and youthful spirits of its owners.

You may also enjoy my previous post, Young Lovers at Aldridge Gardens

Snowflakes in July

No, I'm not talking about frozen precipitation, though that sounds delightful as our temps and humidity head toward the triple digits. I am talking about Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snowflake'. I don't have any of these in my garden, but I was completely smitten by them when I recently visited Aldridge Gardens in Hoover.

Snowflakes are a native of Alabama. The blooms are double and last far longer than the species. I saw them a couple months ago when their blooms were white; and although they were pretty, I didn't note that they were superior to the species. On my most recent visit, their blooms were turning pink and were spectacular, with their ruffled blooms really standing out.

The world didn't know about these wonderful shrubs until the 1970's when Eddie Aldridge and his father, Loren, patented them and began propagation, using a single cutting from a shrub discovered in Libscomb, Alabama. Now they are grown worldwide. You can read about care and cultivation of Hydrangea quercifolia in my post Oakleaf Hydrangea for All Seasons.

My own oakleaf hydrangeas are well past their prime. Their pure white color has rapidly progressed through pink to rose to brown. Snowflake is far prettier!

My Lady in Red hydrangeas have also undergone changes in the summer heat. Here is what they looked like in May:

This is what they look like now. Still beautiful!

A few other hydrangeas, in different stages, are blooming in my garden now:

Clockwise from upper left: 'Annabelle' has turned from white to shades of pale green; 'Limelight' is just beginning to bloom; 'Niko Blue' has a single bloom remaining; I thought 'Endless Summer' was finished blooming, but it is now developing new buds. Maybe it will live up to its name!

I can't wait for cooler fall weather so I can add some Snowflakes to my collection!